No Regrets 1
by Lady Lara
Summary: Post FN. Max’s siblings show up at TC and force Max to rethink her choices over the last year since she escaped Manticore the second time. What if even as Max can’t see Alec for who he is, one of her sisters does. How would dear old Maxie deal with that?
1. Family Reunion

Title: No Regrets – Family Reunion  
Author: misslara  
Rating: PG (A little swearing and some violence.)  
Show: Dark Angel  
Genre: Action/Drama  
Type: Standalone, series  
Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel, it is owned by Fox. No money is made from this story, only entertainment.

Pairing: Alec/Jondy  
Summary: Post FN. Max's siblings show up at TC and force Max to rethink her choices over the last year since she escaped Manticore the second time. What if even as Max can't see Alec for who he is, one of her sisters does. How would dear old Maxie deal with that? And how would Alec deal with a female version of himself?

A/N: My inspiration for this story came while I was watching the concert of Robbie Williams at Knebworth on DVD. Zane's toy has some resemblance to an item thought up by Roonblah, though Zane's has a different function. Also, obviously Zane isn't nearly as cute a character as Stuffie is.

Episode 1 – Family Reunion

"Tell me a story, where we are chained. And we live our lives together, not astray." Robbie Williams, _No regrets_.

"Manticore didn't design us to be chumps." Alec

-------- Act1

Max still couldn't believe they were really here, standing around her. She listened with rapt attention as Krit continued his story.

"So we couldn't be more surprised when we saw the sister we assumed to be dead tearing through the sky on a hoverdrone. We knew we had to come to Seattle to find out what was going on. As we got closer we heard more newscasts and decided perhaps a change of plans was in order. We managed to track down Jondy and Zane and convinced them to join us. Now here we are, willing and able to do our part."

Mole looked incredulous at that last statement, he was slowly accepting the X-series as competent but nothing Max had done had convinced him that the 'niners' were worth living. With a disbelieving snort he returned to cleaning his new toy. A .45 Alec managed to liberate from a sentry guard that crossed the perimeter. Weapons were scarce since the start of the siege, just like everything else, and as far as he could tell these 'niners' were nothing more than excess baggage. With ease he assembled the gun after thoroughly cleaning and oiling each component. When he moved to put it away in the weapons locker he noticed that one of the 'niners' had followed him and was trying to take a peek at his private collection. That silly redhead had watched his every move as he opened the door and carefully deposited the gun on one of the upper shelves. Mole chewed his cigar thoughtfully then spun round to face the redhead and stepped into her space, invading her territory.

"Did you want something, Red?"

"The name's Jondy and yes, I'd like to take a look at that colt you have in there."

Amazed at her composure Mole looked the redhead up and down with disdain. "And what makes you think you're qualified to handle anything from my collection?"

"Oh, I think you'll find me qualified but if you insist on being an asshole I'll play with my own." Jondy casually drew her gun as she spoke and brought it up for him to see. Immediately she was surrounded by three X5s trying to wrestle the gun from her hand. Mole waved them away. "You managed to keep that despite our search, nice one, Red."

"Like I said, the name's Jondy. Now how about you show me those, or do you want to be formally introduced first?" Indicating she wouldn't mind knowing his name. Mole took out his cigar and extended his hand to shake hers.

"All right. My name's Mole, I run security around here."

Max felt concerned when she noticed what was happening behind her. Mole was notorious for testing new arrivals, to make sure they held up to his high standards. Max wasn't sure how Jondy would react to it, even at Manticore she'd been unpredictable. Jondy cocked her head and seemed to ponder how to respond. Instead of shaking his hand she handed him her gun and nodded once.

Even though Mole was surprised at her actions he didn't show it, he was focused on the gun in his hand and was turning away from her to grab the cloth still on the table. For a second Jondy let her attention drift from the hand holding her gun to the one he was moving to the table. In an instant Mole shifted his weight and aimed the gun directly at her head instead. But Jondy was no longer there, she'd dropped down and swiped his legs out from under him with hers. Before she could jump him with her gun in hand he had recovered his balance and held her to him, gun firmly pressed against her temple.

Despite her somewhat precarious situation Jondy chuckled. "Not bad, lizard man, not bad at all."

She held up her hands in defeat and Mole released her, she turned around and held out her hand. Mole shook his head. "No can do, Red. Spoils of war an' all."

Jondy narrowed her eyes and considered her options. She relaxed her stance, shook her hair back and chuckled again. "Alright," the redhead lifted her chin, "but next time when I win I want it back."

Mole snorted his disbelief at the mere possibility that a 'niner' would get the better of him but he seemed impressed at her attitude nonetheless. This much was clear when he let her get back to the siblings without another derisive remark.

Meanwhile Zane had moved over to the window and was checking out the action on the street. Across the road Alec was going over the routines with the X6s improving their skills and teaching them the finer points of urban warfare. Behind him, Max was entering her siblings into the schedule and setting them up with quarters and duties.

Zane was impressed with the level of professionalism all the people around him exuded and wondered exactly how far below them they would rank when it came to training. As usual, Jondy was the one who noticed his solitude and joined him at the window.

"Arguing with the locals already, sis? Don't you know how to go about making a good first impression?"

"Don't worry, I think I'll do alright. And so will you, I know this is a far cry from working in a garage but you'll pick it up in no time."

Jondy squeezed his shoulder and followed his look outside. She could just make out the end of a negotiation and pointed at Alec.

"Something tells me he's the go-to guy. I think we'd better tell him about our supplies. Hmmm, not too bad looking either."

Zane smiled at his sister's comments, she had always been one to cut right to the important matters. Whirling around she came to face Max, determined to ask her about the looker outside and where to stash their stuff. All this hanging around was making her edgy, Jondy was more of a do now, talk later kind of girl.

Alec chose that moment to look up and saw a flash of red hair at the window followed by a face he thought he remembered from childhood. Dismissing his class he headed straight inside the building wondering whether more people than just Max's siblings make it to TC that day.

Walking down the hallway he just caught the end of Jondy question to Max about where to stash their stuff and who to talk to about their truck. The phrase a truckload of supplies got his attention and he quickened his pace, determined to be a part of the conversation before Max would get some stupid idea like talk to Logan about it. When she had done so last week the supplies had ended up at an orphanage because Logan decided it was more needed there. Mole and several others had been on the verge of assassinating the old man. Alec had barely been on time to diffuse the situation. He had asked Max several times already to send the man out of TC but she wouldn't hear of it.

Now he was deliberately going to interfere in her plans. He must really be a sucker for Max's rage, now even the thought of how she'd secretly be thanking him didn't improve his mood. Scowling at the thought of volunteering for punchbag duty he moved into the room and opened his mouth to speak.

Before he could get a word in however he was baffled into silence when he spotted Devon flanked by a very beautiful blonde he didn't recognize. Struggling for words he soon realised this male version of Max wasn't eyeing him with the predator look Devon always carried. In fact this man didn't make any sign of recognition. He cringed and wondered what other surprises Manticore would have for them.

"Let me guess, 472, right?" Alec extended his hand still shaking his head to get his memories out of the way.

"Yeah, except I go by Krit. Have for a long time too. You?" Krit shook the hand that was extended to him as he tried to place the face in front of him.

"Alec, nice to meet you. Did I hear someone say supplies?" When he heard Mole give a snort, he glanced in the lizard's direction. Mole took his cigar and pointed it at Jondy.

"Red over there claims they've stashed a truck full of 'useful' stuff at the city's edge." He moved forward to join the circle and jabbed his cigar at Jondy again.

"Is it the same quality as the toy you let me have?"

"Come on, lizard man. Do I look like a cheap girl? 'Sides that toy is on loan, so don't get too attached." Jondy nudged Krit aside and gave Alec an obvious and calculating once-over. Alec smirked at the attention this fiery redhead was giving him. Most X5's would dare to be this obvious with him, this only didn't seem intimidated by anyone. 'Did she just call Mole lizard man and get away with it? Mmmm, must be something to this girl.'

"Name's Jondy, what name did you get with those pectorals?"

'AND she knows her oneliners?' Alec thought and spoke barely containing his grin. "Alec."

"As in Smart-alecky? I'd say we'll get along just fine. Now do we go and pick up the stuff or are we just gonna stand around here?"

Max quickly interrupted, "Jon, I want to go over your entry plan. You'll need some papers to get through the checkpoints. Let me talk to Logan, see what he can do."

"Oh, is that your go-to guy? What is he X5, support, transhuman?" Jondy looked at Max expectantly then whirled around at Syl and rubbed her elbow. "WHAT?"

Syl pulled Jondy to the side and spoke in a slow deliberate tone. "Logan is Max's guy, remember, the one that was…" Syl stopped and wiggled her hand in an unrecognizable gesture.

Jondy's face lit up, "Ah, right, well then." Then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, Max, are you sure this guy is safe here? Won't he get sick?" Again Syl delivered a sharp slap at Jondy's arm and Jondy faced her sister with a scowl.

Alec smirked at the scene and without taking his eyes of it spoke to Max in a mock whispered tone. "I see where you get it from, Maxie."

All eyes were on him at that, Krit tried to contain his rampant grin and failed miserably. Soon he was laughing and only stopped when Syl started to advance on him. Soon he was scampering out of the way dodging blows left and right. While he was edging out of the room and managed to shout "I'll see you all later, bye."

Alec departed as well, saying he would prep for the supply run to be made later that afternoon. Soon only Max and Jondy were left in the room where Jondy made use of her time to volunteer for the supply run, complaining that Syl had made her behave for far too long.

Max felt the need to warn her sister about Alec. "Look, Jon, you don't know him like I do. You can't trust him, his bedroom practically has a revolving door."

"And what makes you think mine doesn't?" At Max's shocked face Jondy felt the irrepressible need to laugh. "Relax, sis, I'm takin' the mickey. Seriously, we're both adults." With a shrug Jondy wanted to dismiss the matter, but Max wanted to give it one more try.

"But, Jondy, you don't understand."

"What don't I understand, little sister? Do you want him, is that it?" Jondy was curious at what Max would say at this. Syl had informed her of the fact that Max had a relationship with an ordinary that Zack didn't approve of. According to Zack the man was taking advantage of Max, clouding her judgement. Considering how many times Zack questioned her decisions, Jondy was disinclined to believe him. On the other hand her relationships with ordinaries hadn't worked out very well. Maybe Max was really going after some fine transgenic.

"No, of course not." Max interrupted her train of thought, but somehow Jondy wasn't convinced, there was something about the way Max protested. Jondy decided to listen to the words instead of her instincts for a change. Her sister wouldn't lie to her.

"Then I don't see a problem. Look I'm gonna change, I'll see you in 10."

Max watched her sister leave the building her hair whipping around her face in the wind. It felt great to finally have so many of them by her side, hopefully more of them would find their way to TC as well. A hint of dread settled in her stomach. Soon they would ask about Ben and Zack and Max didn't know how they would feel about her then. Putting those gloomy thoughts out of her mind she moved into the other room where Logan was waiting with more advice on how to handle the negotiations.

Logan supplied them with sector passes, courtesy of the Seattle PD. While Jondy introduced herself to the rest of the team Alec went over the hoverdrone footage with Dix. Thanks to the assault suits they commandeered from White's team they now had some comms gear and it was distributed. Since communications across sector lines was monitored, the supply team would maintain radio silence till they arrived at the drop-off point. Alec was going over all the contingencies and watched as Mole passed out the few small arms they managed to smuggle into TC.

Dalton was instructing Jondy on their escape routes and judging by her face he'd just gotten to the sewer routes.

"You're kidding me right, sewers? Brilliant, just brilliant. Well, at least it's not storm drains, those are really repulsive." Seeing Dalton's face Jondy smiled, "Never been to San Francisco I see, well you should really see it. Most of these freaks would fit in just nicely. I guess that's why they never found me there. Too many weirdos around, even lizard man would go unnoticed."

Jondy chuckled at the sight of Dalton's disbelieving face. She shook it off and turned her attention to the streetmap of Seattle again, memorizing the alternative routes. At the signal she followed Alec out on the street and silently followed him to the access point. There she stopped to double check her gear while the others jumped down the sewer grate. Lastly she pulled something that resembled an ivory letter opener from a pocket and used it to pull her hair back in a tight bun. Alec looked a little nonplussed at the seemingly frivolous addition to her gear but shrugged it off and motioned for her to jump in. Jondy flashed him a quick smile and a wink and wordlessly hopped down the hole. Landing in a crouch she moved up the line of waiting transgenics and led them to the outskirts of the city. Halfway the group split up, most headed straight for the drop-off point. Only Dalton and Alec followed Jondy all the way.

Walking up to the grate they needed to exit through, she drew out a small mirror and extended the handle then turned full circle to check the perimeter. Seeing no immediate foul play she checked the wire she left to make sure no one else entered or exited the same way since they passed through it the day before. Finding it intact she gave a thumbs up down the line and moved underneath to lift the lid out of the way. Soon she noticed someone else climbed the ladder behind her, without turning she smelled it was Alec and together they moved the grate out of the way. Peeking her head out of the hole she jumped up and moved to the barn nearby. Without looking back she knew the other two men would be right behind her and would check the road for any traffic.

At the door she pressed her ear to the door and heard the familiar hum of her newest toy. Sliding her hand down her pants she pulled out a small keypad and entered an 8 digit code. Hearing the beep she was satisfied no one had entered the barn in the last 24 hours and breathed a sigh of relief. So far no complications. She edged through the door, leaving it slightly ajar to provide some light. Creeping up to the truck she saw no footsteps in the hay and nodded while a smile crept to her face. Pulling up her hand she caressed the front of the truck in a tender gesture. Moving to the rear of the truck she crawled underneath and pulled the key from inside the exhaust pipe. When she slid back out Alec was standing at her feet, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Keys in the exhaust, not very high-tech is it?" He held out his hand and pulled Jondy up. Jondy wiped her hands on her pants, pocketing the keys.

"Hey, if it works? Wanna see what we got, or head straight back?"

"The road is clear, we move out."

"Mmmm, harnessing your curiosity, I'm impressed. You must have a lot of patience."

"I like surprises."

"Really? Something to remember then."

Jondy moved to the driver's side and went to pull the keys from her pocket again only to find it empty. She looked back at Alec who dangled them from his hand. She shrugged her shoulders and walked around to the passenger side. Alec opened the door and watched as Jondy opened the barn doors. He headed out of the barn slowly and was surprised at the sound of the engine. It sounded a lot more powerful that was standard on a truck like this. He remembered Zane was an expert mechanic and he assumed Zane had tinkered with it a little before they set out.

Jondy jumped in and left the door ajar as Alec headed to the road. Soon a head popped up from the ditch and sprinted over to the truck. Dalton hopped in and pulled the door closed behind him as Alec headed back to Seattle. Jondy ducked down and pulled a large package from underneath the passenger seat. She handed the package to Dalton then leaned over to Alec to pull a similar package from underneath his seat. Putting her hand between his legs she gave him a cheeky grin as she leaned in closer to reach further underneath the seat.

Seeing his arrogant smirk returning she quipped. "I hope you have no objections."

"To a beautiful readhead in my lap? Never."

With a flourish gesture she pulled out the bag and went back to her seat. Pulling the drawstrings of the bag, she fiddled with it for a while then pulled out a battered book and leaned back in her seat and put her feet on the dashboard. She nudged Dalton to check his bag. Dalton looked at her questioningly and she nodded encouragingly. When he saw the contents of the bad he drew in a sharp breath and looked at Jondy with big eyes. She smiled and winked. Pulling the book aside she whispered. "You got a girlfriend? Then pick out something for her, or pick it out now and find the girlfriend later."

Dalton tossed a quick look at Alec and then back at the contents of the bag. When he looked back at Jondy her attention had gone back to the book but she nudged her elbow at him. With a small shrug and a quick glance at Alec, he gave in and pulled something out of the bag that he quickly pocketed.

As they approached the sign that read Welcome to Seattle, Jondy dropped the book and shoved both bags back under the passenger seat. She asked Alec for the entry papers and read them carefully. Seeing the letterhead of the Seattle PD she pulled out a cap and jacket that read SFPD and held out a pair of reflecting sunglasses. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she opened them again her entire demeanour changed, she sat up straight and put on the sunglasses with military precision. Suddenly she was the epitome of a high-ranking police officer.

As Alec stopped in the line, she switched seats with Dalton and waved her hand out of the window. Curious the guard in the tower adjusted the scope of his rifle. He saw the insignia to the SFPD and waved down to let the truck to the front of the line. Alec was surprised at being waved forward but when he glanced aside he could see why. Suddenly he was very, very nervous. This was not in the plans and Alec wasn't sure whether bringing Jondy had been a good idea.

Jondy exchanged a few words with the guard and he waved them through without looking at their papers once. When they were out of earshot of the guard Alec hissed in displeasure.

"Next time would you warn me when you pull a stunt like that?"

"Relax, I only realised I had the uniform when I read the papers we got. Now we can use those another time, although I don't know whether it'll work again. The guards said not everyone knew the new police chief in San Francisco is a woman."

Alec couldn't help but laugh at her ingenuity and let her do the talking again at two other checkpoints. It was the last one that brought them a complication, however. In front of them was a military convoy and Jondy was hesitant about using her disguise to cut before them. When she glanced aside Alec almost imperceptibly shook his head. He strained his hearing to overhear what was being said.

When bits of the conversation reached his ears the blood in his veins turned ice-cold. He knew that voice and that voice would know him, know him very well. They were in serious trouble. If that man glanced behind him and saw Alec they would be made as transgenics and stuck. Doing some quick thinking he glanced at Jondy again and found she was watching him intently from the corner of her eye. Dalton was still in between them and keeping his cool, but he had noticed to undercurrent of tension that now flowed through the truck.

Alec made his decision and nodded at Jondy, although they needed to pass the truck if her ploy worked, the risk of exposure was smaller than waiting in line behind the truck. Jondy drew the attention of the guard in the tower and same as before he waved them forward. Alec kept his face down but didn't dare to pull up his hand for fear of attracting the attention of the officer in the other truck.

As they moved passed the military truck he risked a glance aside to satisfy his nagging curiosity and positively identify the voice in the truck. His blood iced in his veins once more when he recognized Major Stendahl. Although judging by his uniform he wasn't a major anymore. For a nanosecond their eyes met, as Alec looked ahead of him again and Alec prayed to some unknown deity that Stendahl wouldn't remember a young man he'd seen over 4 years before in a hallway. When they were waved through without a problem he dared to hope all would work out. Soon however angry voices drifted to him as he drove away and that made him nervous. As they turned the corner Alec already heard the sounds confirming that the man had indeed recognized him and was in pursuit.

He had to risk it. He flipped the switch of his comms gear. "494 to base, come in."

"Base here, line is secure."

"We've been made. Pursuers are military and mean business. Drop off alpha is a no go, I repeat a no go. Do you copy?" While he spoke Alec was cursing himself for looking to confirm what he'd already known. He should've known that Stendahl would've remembered him. Chances were the only reason the man came to Seattle was for the opportunity to retain the elusive 494 under his command. He put it out of his mind and focused on getting the 3 of them out of this alive.

"Base here, message conformed, hostiles on your six. Base is standing by."

Jondy pushed Dalton to the window, drew a gun from her satchel and handed it to him, her main attention still focused on Alec. She could feel they were speeding up. "Why can't we move to the drop-off point?"

"Because they don't know about it. We'll have to ditch the truck somewhere and head back on foot."

"No way, I'm not leaving this stuff behind."

"Negative soldier, we're ditching the truck."

"Like hell we are." As Alec rounded a corner, Jondy climbed onto his lap and rolled down the window. Taking aim she shot out a tire on the hummer and ordered Dalton to watch for hoverdrones. "If any are in firing range, blow it out of the sky. You got that?"

She took aim again and tried to blow out the other tire as well, all the while trying to avoid shooting any innocent civilians along the trajectory. As the soldiers in the hummer returned fire she ducked her head back inside. With two men firing at her she was unable to take proper aim and Jondy had no intention of shooting blindly at the truck. Jondy clung to Alec as he swerved across the road, trying to stay ahead of the hummer. He silently thanked Zane for his upgrades and wrestled some more speed from the engine.

Then in a left hand turn one of the men in the pursuing hummer got lucky and fired a round that grazed Alec's shoulder, missing Jondy's head by millimetres. He swore softly under his breath. "Damn it, that shoulder just healed. You alright?"

Jondy nodded, she transferred the gun into her other hand and leaned into Alec to reach behind the seat. Out came a first aid box that Jondy placed on the seat and opened it with one hand. Putting the gun down she put her hands on his arm and quickly assessed the damage. Putting two fingers inside the gap the bullet had torn in the fabric she tore it wider and clacked her tongue. Grabbing the gun she fired a few rounds in the direction of their pursuers and then returned her attention to the wound. With one hand she pulled out a bag of antiseptic powder and tore it open with the help of her teeth. Alec glanced to see what she was doing. "Some one can look at that when we get back."

"Haven't you heard of infection, we might heal fast but that doesn't make us any less susceptible?" Ignoring his protests she pulled out a bit of gauze and applied it to the wound. Using some bandage she tied it to around to keep the gauze in place. Flipping the lid closed she returned her attention to trying to return fire, again making sure no civilians were in her path. The pursuers didn't have such qualms and continued to fire at the truck. Jondy shook her head and pulled back inside. "It's no use, I can't get a clear shot."

She heard the noise of police cars joining in the pursuit but thankfully they managed to stay far enough ahead of them. When she saw Alec getting paler due to the blood loss, she turned inside his arms and ordered him to pull the seat back. When he did it created room for her to sit and she took over driving the truck. She handed over the gun and Alec and Dalton both searched the sky for hover drones that would predict their path and tried to shoot it out of the sky. Dalton also fired at the hummer when the opportunity arose bravely choosing the risk of a bullet to get them every advantage possible. Alec considered their location and shouted directions at Jondy. "Turn left here and head for the harbour. What the hell are you doing? I said turn left."

Jondy didn't respond but picked up more speed as she headed straight for the main gates of TC. Rounding the corners he could see the daily group of protesters at the fence. Jondy hit the alarm light button and a deafening wail filled the air. Soon the crowd turned and dispersed, leaving Jondy with a clear path. She rammed the fence and didn't brake till she was parked in the garage. She shut off the wail and in the silence she could hear the perimeter guards firing at the hummer who tried to pass the fence as well. Soon it backed up to behind the fence and the gunfire ceased.

Jondy could see Max walking down the ramp into the garage and shouted her welcome though the rolled down window. "Honey, I'm home."

Behind her she could hear Alec snickering, she turned to ask him what was so funny. Alec just shook his head and gently rolled his shoulder to assess the damage to the muscle. Max was followed by Mole and the team that had been assigned to empty the supply truck. When one of them got closer to the truck Jondy tossed them the keys and ordered them to begin. Jondy could now clearly read the expression of Max's face, she was surprised to see it contorted in rage. "Alec, what the hell were you thinking? Does the meaning of the word 'quietly' escape you? Why can't you do even the simplest thing right?"

In the pause Max needed to draw breath Jondy held up her hand to interrupt Max. She spoke while pointing alternately at herself and Alec to emphasize her story. "Uhm, sis, guilty party right here. We'd been made at the checkpoint, when Alec got shot I decided to use an entry point they knew about rather than ditch the supplies."

Closing her mouth in surprise, Max took a moment to think then she started up again. "You managed to get yourself shot, again? What are you a bullet magnet? At least this time you had someone with you to bail you out, again."

Jondy leaned back at the fury that Max presented her with, Alec put his hand on her back to steady her and shook his head when he noticed Jondy was getting ready to interrupt her again. Jondy shrugged her shoulders and opened the door. After Alec exited too, Jondy dove back in to retrieve the two bags stashed in the front. Tossing one on her shoulder she held up the other one at Alec. "Who's the money man around here? We have a donation we'd like to make."

Alec held out his hand for it but Jondy didn't hand over the bag, instead she pulled it back and chortled "Why am I not surprised? Alright, how about I give you this after you've been to see a medic?"

Alec smiled and winked, he headed for the rear of the truck to see what the others were unloading. There he could see Mole walking around down at the front end of the truck and pulling out various types of weaponry. He noticed Jondy coming behind him and he gave her a quick smile. "You seem to have given Mole an early Christmas."

Jondy smiled at the sight of the big lizard playing around like a big kid, not knowing what box to open next. She linked her arm through the blonde standing next to her and pulled him close. "Where can a girl get a decent drink and a meal around here?"

Mole came out of the truck carrying a bazooka on his shoulder, took Jondy's bag and took her other arm. It was his way of letting her know that he approved of her and accepted her as a useful member of the team. "Let me introduce you to Joshua, the man makes a mean mac'n cheese."

The three of them walked out of the parking garage, the sound of their laughter trailing them. Soon Mole couldn't keep his curiosity at bay and asked Jondy what had been on his mind since they'd met earlier that day. "You know, Red, most X-series aren't as easy around us transhumans. Why aren't you afraid of the 'nomlies'?"

Jondy shrugged, her voice hardened as she spoke. "Dunno, I suppose it's because I lived in San Francisco so long. So many freaks there, nothing spooks me anymore. I guess it's why I fit in there so well. Plus, Ben was the one who was most afraid of them. After I got out I realised you were probably what they considered mistakes. Though I don't get why they kept you alive? Most of us got shot when we 'malfunctioned'."

Jondy gave a sad sort of smile. "You know, Ben came to see me a few years back. He didn't stay long though, he wasn't comfortable with all the freaks in the street. I let him go, Zack would've ordered him to go as soon as he found out anyway."

On the way back from the medic while the trio were heading towards Joshua's Jondy looked at Alec again and remarked, "You know you sorta look like him. Only you're happier, more at peace with yourself."

Alec smirked and with a pained look he spoke. "I would look like Ben, I'm his twin. Most of us have twins walking around somewhere."

Seeing the pained expression on his face Jondy hesitated but she pulled her courage together and asked in a small voice. "What happened after we escaped?"

Surprised at her question, and struggling how to answer it, Alec looked at Jondy with an open look that told Jondy all she needed to know. "Yes, things got a lot tougher, especially on us twins."

"That's what I was afraid of. At first I wanted to come back and get the rest of you out as well, but after a while I stopped thinking about it."

Mole looked confused and was about to tear into Jondy about it when Alec stopped him and asked simply. "Why?" This was something he'd always wanted to know, ever since he met Max and got some idea what it had been like for her to be on the run alone.

Jondy sighed and spoke in a resigned voice. "Because of Jace and Ben. They were both so afraid of what was outside of Manticore. Sometimes I thought Ben should've stayed too, life was particularly hard on him out here. So many things he didn't understand and couldn't find the answers for. I couldn't be sure that things wouldn't be the same for so many others and I didn't want to force anything on people that maybe didn't want to be free. After a while it was easier not to think about it. Most of the time I was alone out here, we couldn't risk exposure by staying together. I still wonder what happened to Jace and Ben, but I'm sure they'll end up here if they're still out there."

Alec was torn in two about what to reply, in the end he decided to change the subject, the story of Jace and Ben could wait for another time. He made an effort to change the subject and got her attention away from painful memories.

Meanwhile Max was still standing at the truck watching them leave when Logan came up to her and asked how she was doing. "Max, are you alright?"

"She just took his side and they left. I was hoping we could spend some time together."

"Don't take it too hard, judging by what she pulled just now I'd say they have a lot in common. Maybe he'll stay more out of your way now that's she's here to distract him."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Come on, I made some delicious chicken, let's go and eat. We still need to go over the plans for Eyes Only's new cable hack." Max let Logan lead her to the apartment but all along the way she was wondering why Jondy hadn't asked her to join them as well. Maybe she shouldn't have been so tough on Alec, after all he didn't drive the truck through the fence. 'And what was she doing, sitting in his lap like that?'

--------Act 2

Over the next few days Jondy, Zane, Syl and Krit found their role in the structure of TC. Max tried to spend time with them but usually she'd be swamped with things that needed doing immediately day and night. Even Max needed some sleep occasionally but she'd been deprived of a decent opportunity lately. After glancing at her watch and seeing she'd gone 83 hours without a minute sleep she promised herself a quick nap after she finished this one thing.

This was the reason that when Luke entered her office not 5 minutes later he tiptoed out again having found their leader collapsed on a stack of papers at her desk. Before Mole could discover Max's current disposition Luke headed for his desk and hit speed dial on his phone. As he waited to be connected he glanced around but no one else was up in the command room yet.

Whispering urgently he called for back-up. "I could use some back-up. She's fallen asleep at her desk again." After hearing the response he checked his surroundings and whispered again. "How would I know but I'll try to run interference till then."

Pocketing the phone instead of leaving it on his desk he scurried to Mole's section. After wiping his moist hands on his pants he checked the duty roster Mole had pinned up. Glancing around for witnesses he memorized a few names and dialled a few more numbers on his phone, having hushed conversations to avoid people eavesdropping.

Soon Alec sauntered into the large room looking as though he didn't have a care in the world. He looked around to confirm no one other than Luke was in the room and dropped his easygoing exterior. Luke met him at the door to Max's office. "They'll be here soon, you don't have much time."

Alec just winked in response, assuring him not to worry. After listening at the door for a moment he opened it slowly and crept to the desk without making a sound. Max was still asleep, the chair pulled under the desk, her head leaning on a stack of papers. Alec put his arm underneath her knees and held the other behind her shoulders. He carefully lifted her clear of the chair. Looking down at her face he was distracted for a moment when Max put her one hand behind his neck and placed the other on his chest. He held his breath waiting for her to wake up and begin her attack on him. When she didn't, he lifted her a little higher in his arms and carried her to her apartment.

Max shared her living space with her siblings but Alec doubted whether she'd seen the inside of it in days. He was a little hesitant about entering the apartment without knocking but the distant whirring sound of servo motors clinched the decision. He opened the door and, after entering carefully, latched it from the inside. He expected Logan to knock first but he wanted to make sure he had every chance of getting her in bed before Logan could run interference. Alec felt the irritation well up inside him, for someone who claimed to love her, Logan didn't take very good care of Max. Walking to her bedroom Alec prayed to a deity he didn't believe in he would have enough time to get Max in bed with the door closed before Logan would come knocking at the door.

Pulling back the covers he put Max down on the bed and slid off her shoes. Pulling her up into a sitting position he unzipped her jacket and pushed it down her arms. As Max rolled over to get comfortable he leaned in over her to tuck the covers snugly around her. She whispered his name and Alec froze on the spot, staring disbelievingly at the slender figure purring beneath him. Just as he was about to dismiss it as a figment of his overactive imagination she muttered it again, "Alec, mmm, that's nice."

Alec just stood there, all his attention riveted to the woman below him. He had to fight every urge to climb in next to her and find out exactly what she was dreaming about. Silently he admonished himself for getting distracted, nevertheless he waited, waited to see what other startling revelations might come from her mouth while she was sleeping. In a distant corner of his mind he couldn't shut off, he heard the whine of servo motors coming closer and the shuffling of others moving in the next room. Those sounds spurred him back into action, albeit more than somewhat reluctantly. Giving one last tug at the blankets he moved away from the sleeping figure noiselessly.

He managed to reach the front door just as Logan was about to knock. Logan stood there, his hand poised in the air to knock looking more than a little surprised at being faced with Alec. It was obvious he hadn't expected to see Alec at Max's apartment but Alec stood in the doorway looking relaxed as he waited for Logan to start speaking. Of course Alec already knew what Logan wanted but the rules of negotiations say the first one to speak or offer an explanation is at a disadvantage, and Alec had every reason to want the upper hand when dealing with Logan.

Logan dropped his hand back at his side and frowned, obviously trying to explain Alec's presence at Max's apartment without having to ask for one. Alec smiled in a friendly gesture trying to look open and inconspicuous, he knew Logan would probably not be fooled but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Alec, what are," Logan paused and started again. "Alec, is Max here?"

Alec kept his face and voice carefully blank. "Max is catching up on some sleep right now. Was there something you wanted?"

Logan glanced about then answered in a low voice. "Eyes Only needs some help. He asked me to see if maybe Max could arrange something."

Alec fought the urge to roll his eyes at the man. The fact that he managed to fool ordinaries with that third person speak didn't mean it would fool anyone here. "Well, like I said, Max is catching up on some sleep. She doesn't need much sleep, but even those with shark DNA get sleep deprived."

Alec wondered if Logan even noticed that he was carefully avoiding giving his opinion on the matter. He was fairly certain Logan wouldn't ask him for help if he did ask about it, but Alec wasn't about to take any chances. The old man might decide that since Max dragged him along every time he was actually willing to do these ludicrous, and not to mention dangerous, missions.

Thankfully, Logan seemed to have gotten the message and left while muttering things under his breath. Alec could've heard what he was saying but he figured it wasn't worth the effort. He closed the door and leaned his forehead on it, his eyes closed. Then the smell of freshly made coffee tickled his nose and he sniffed audibly.

Syl snickered behind his back, she'd been watching the exchange with interest and now offered Alec a congratulatory cup of coffee. Alec accepted it with a look that conveyed his gratitude. "Do you mind if I drink and go?"

"No, go ahead. I'll stand guard and make sure no one wakes Max up before she's had a decent 4 hours."

Alec lifted the mug in a mock salute and headed back to the command room, mentally groaning at the thought of all the paper work that awaited him there.

Alec was at Max's desk still working through a vast pile of requisition orders when Luke walked into the office looking more than a little concerned.

"Yes, Luke. What crisis do we have now?"

Luke swallowed and bravely plunged in. "Alec, Max needs to be at the negotiations table in 20 minutes. Are you going to tell her, or are we going to postpone?"

"There's no need to postpone, I'll take her place for today. I've looked over her notes and it doesn't look too difficult."

Alec gathered his notes and headed out of the office with Luke hot on his heels. He met up with his security detail and left TC after giving Luke one last dire warning. "Make sure Logan doesn't get near Max till she's had enough sleep. I won't have her collapsing anytime soon again."

Arriving at the gates Alec looked around, routinely checking his surroundings before walking the small distance to the temporary building that was the location of the negotiations. That building was under permanent watch from both sides and Alec felt relatively safe even if he was out in the open. Watching the representatives from the government arrive from the other end Alec waited till they arrived at their door. Together they opened the doors and entered the cramped space that would normally have been used as a foreman's office at a building site. Alec sat down with Rashel at his right. The soldier inside him was still uncomfortable with having a member of the psy corps at his side but they had proven their worth at recognizing hidden agendas during the negotiations so Alec hid his unease.

He looked at the people finding seats on the opposite side of the table and took notice of the absence of special agent in charge Ames White. Since the man had moved heaven and earth, or in his case had a senator pull some strings to be present, Alec was amazed to see he wasn't there. Some one else was there however and Alec was not pleased to see the man. After introducing himself as Alec McDowell and relating his designation he entered into negotiations about having TC hooked up to the electricity and water supply of Seattle.

Alec was a little amused to be negotiating for something they already had but it was what the local government expected so he played his part. In the back of his mind, however, he was forming hypotheses about the presence of Colonel Stendahl and the absence of Ames White. Naturally there wasn't necessarily a relation between both events but it was something he would be asking Max about as soon as she was available. Frankly he was more than a little annoyed that she hadn't relayed the change in circumstances of the negotiations. This might have some very serious implications for the status of Manticore alumni with the government and in relation to the Cult.

His suspicions were confirmed when Stendahl indicated his desire to talk to Alec as the negotiations were winding down for that morning. As the others filed out of the office, Stendahl paused at the door and handed Alec an envelope and turned away without another word. Alec looked at the man as he was heading out and fought the memories that came with that face. Lydecker might have been their training officer but this man had been in charge of the outside missions. He was directly responsible for several X5 fatalities, the man was ruthless and had no qualms about shooting a soldier that was no longer capable to complete the mission. They had every reason to fear this man and the message he was bringing them. This signalled the end of the tentative peace Max had fought for and Alec wasn't sure how she'd respond to it.

Alec swore under his breath the whole way back to the command room and cursed Max for not informing him sooner. Now they were going to have to act fast if this was what he expected it to be. When he entered the command room Mole Luke and the others were ready for the debrief and stood riveted in the spot when Alec sat down and dropped the envelope on the table in front of him. He sat silent and seemed to wait for something. When Mole noticed Alec wasn't about to fill them in on what had occurred that morning, or why he was carrying an army issued envelope he returned to his duties and the others did the same.

They didn't have to wait long, soon after Alec took a seat at the table Max came bounding into the command room looking flustered and rushed. When she spotted Alec sitting at the table she dashed forward nearly knocking over several people in her path. As she took a breath to berate Alec for taking over he rose slowly to his full height in front of her and spoke in a deliberate tone. "When did Stendahl replace White at the negotiations table?"

Anyone else would have recognized his demeanour as someone who was trying to contain his rage and treaded carefully. Max however, was gearing up her own indignant rage and ignored the warning signs that were coming off him in waves. "What the hell gave you the right to take my place at the negotiations? And who told you to post guards at my door?"

Alec interrupted her, ignoring everything she had said and repeated his question, balling his hands into fists by his side. "When did Stendahl replace White at the negotiations table, Max?"

Max continued as though she hadn't heard him, most of the people around weren't sure whether she actually had. When Max went into one of her fits she usually didn't listen to anyone till her anger was spent. "And another thing, who told you, you could just barge into my apartment? I'll decide when I need sleep. I just needed to finish my work. I have responsibilities. Something you wouldn't know…."

Max stopped talking and looked down at where Alec grabbed her arm. Through clenched teeth Alec asked her again and this time Max looked at his with amazement and a slight hint of fear in her eyes. "When did Stendahl replace White at the negotiations table, Max?"

Max frowned to recall then answered. "Two days ago, but Logan said…."

"Quite frankly I don't care what Logan said, why did you not mention it at the meeting? Do you know who Stendahl is?"

"Logan said…" Max paused and spotted the envelope on the table. Eager to change the subject she asked about it. "Is this the new proposal?"

"No, Col. Stendahl gave that to me when the session ended."

"Shouldn't we open it then, find out what it is?"

"I already know what it is. Trouble, and lots of it."

Max sat down at the table and opened the envelope, from it she pulled out a single sheet of paper and began to read it. When she finished she was pale as a sheet, she looked at Alec over the rim of the paper with panic in her eyes. It quickly fleeted and was replaced with ironclad determination. Alec already knew what she was going to say before she said it and he resigned to finding a way to make it work.

He moved to where Dix was working and asked him in clipped tones. "How many from the Seattle facility are unaccounted for? Find out and try to ascertain their most likely location. Mole! I need you to get everyone inside the perimeter, now."

Mole looked up from where he had been pretending to work and nodded before taking a phone and heading out of the room. Alec continued to deliver orders and everyone jumped to work. Max was still at the table trying to come to grips with the reality of what they would be facing. When Alec passed by the table her hand shot out and grasped his. As he met her questioning gaze he smiled reassuringly but Max voiced her concern. "They can't be serious, can they?"

Alec stopped and kneeled where Max was sitting. "Yes, Max. I'm afraid Stendahl is very serious. And what's worse, he has the means to pull it off. When the X5R's were declared fit for duty they were handed over to Stendahl. With the exception of Sam, Jace and myself, they all went to his facility and followed his orders. They have done so ever since, even after the burning of Manticore. Even if they've heard about our little sanctuary here it would mean nothing to them. They've been thoroughly brainwashed by psy ops before departure. By the looks of things he wants to expand his operation, add all the X-series here in TC and out there to his stable of assassins."

Max sputtered "But, but Logan said."

Alec sighed, he realized this was going to be another struggle. "Max, do you remember when we drove the truck into TC? It was Stendahl who recognized me, I saw him when he came to collect his soldiers. If I remember correctly he was very upset I wasn't a part of the platoon assigned to him. Unfortunately for him a deal of mine with one of the guards had gone sour and I was due for some extra punishment."

Despite their predicament, Max smiled. "Let me guess, you got distracted." Alec cringed, that had happened too but what Max didn't realise was that Alec had known about the transfer and had engineered his infraction so he could stay behind. Better the devil you know and all. He had learned about Stendahl from the few times he'd been able to peek at classified files. Stendahl was a mean son of a bitch. Thanks to his excellent memories he recalled reading about Stendahl reporting on a successful mission in Iraq a few years back. Something Mole would know more about, he filed that away and retuned to the matter at hand.

Alec was silent while he'd been thinking and then decided Max could do with another dose of the truth, even if she would most likely not believe him on his word. "Max, Stendahl is responsible for the assassination of the pope. He sent my platoon leader, Lane, to do the job then commit suicide. Logan knows about that, he has a file on it, did he tell you that?"

Max's head whipped up and she looked at him for a moment. Then her gaze was redirected over his head and he heard the whine of servo motors as Logan entered the building. Max suddenly realised they were still holding hands and pulled her hand from his. "But why would White leave the negotiations when Stendahl wants us, he wants us dead?"

Though thoroughly amazed at the fact she was actually and seriously considering the information he was providing Alec was ready for her. "No, Max, White and his loons want us out of the way. If we go to Stendahl we would first be reconditioned, simplified. We wouldn't be a problem for the cult anymore."

"Alright, time for us to get serious then. We can't take the man up on his offer so we'll need to close the perimeter. Make sure he can't get to anyone."

"What about those of us still outside TC? How much time did he give us? 36 hours?"

Max double checked the sheet and nodded. "36 hours. That doesn't leave us with a lot of time."

"On the contrary, my dear. We could have all X-series presently in the continental US here at TC in less than 24 hours. Question is, do we want that?"

Mole returned and nodded to Alec, indicating all the supply teams were back inside the fence. He caught the last trail of the conversation and moved closer to the table. Chewing his cigar he took a seat at the table and waited for an answer. When Max didn't appear to have an immediate response he took the cigar from his mouth and looked at it while he spoke. "We have enough room for another 200, 250 bodies but that'll put quite a strain on the supply line, never mind about providing them with weapons and munitions. There's no way of knowing how many will respond to the signal. A lot of units were abroad when Manticore burned down and most went to ground shortly after you 2 changed the signal. I'd say we have most of the transhumans already here, can't be too many of those left out there, especially not from the basement, haven't got the survival skills."

Alec looked up at where Dix was typing furiously at the keyboard and contemplated what other measures they could take before their window of opportunity closed. It was Max who spoke first. "Alright then, let's find out how many are left. Let's start by cataloguing all the designations and correlating stories. If we ask everyone about those they were with when Manticore burned and what their plans were we should get a decent idea. Then we can decide in 12 hours. Joshua will know who to ask the questions and we can use some of the techies to fill the database. Let's do it."

The next few hours were filled with crazed activity, several younger X8's came running in and out with modified lists of designations and supply lists. Alec organized some scrounging teams and systematically searched the rest of the buildings still empty. In the midst of this pandemonium Syl and Krit made their way to the command room and asked Alec whether he had some time available for them.

Alec handed his papers over to Dix and told them to walk with him, they could talk along the way. Alec was preoccupied with organizing the influx of transgenics he was expecting and silently hoped they didn't have any additional demands for him.

Syl opened the conversation. "Alec, you're the designated go-to guy right?"

When he nodded - still preoccupied with where to allocate more people to the perimeter - Krit continued. "As such you'd need a constant flow of cash right?"

Alec was now paying more attention to what was being said, wondering where the conversation was headed. He had been wondering how to get extra cash to make the next weapons exchange. Syl caught his eye by dangling the society pages of the papers in front of him. "How about we arrange a deposition of various jewels and precious artefacts for you?"

Alec took the paper from Syl and read the article which advertised the opening of the new wing of the Seattle museum with the collection of Russian jewels from the time of Catherine the great. Alec grinned, if they weren't stuck this was the kind of job he'd have gone for. Easy access, easy loot to fence, and most importantly plenty of other suspects to use as scapegoats.

"How do I know you won't get caught and get us into even more trouble?" Normally Krit would've taken offence at the bluntness of the statement but given Alec's credit with the others he'd oblige him with an answer. "First off, you and Max couldn't do it for obvious reasons. Second, we could blame it on any one you'd like. And thirdly, did you look inside the bag Jondy brought with her?"

"Yes, there were some interesting pieces there. I've been meaning to ask you. How'd you get close enough to the Panther to steal his loot?"

Syl grinned and leaned in closer to mock-whisper in his ear. "Don't tell anyone, but we're the Panther. It was a bad move though, some pieces were impossible to fence after that rep got out."

"Alright let's go over your plans, if you can convince me you've thought of everything, I'd say go for it." Krit nodded enthusiastically and gestured for Alec to lead the way. Along the way he put his hand on Alec's shoulder and started explaining their plan. "Did you see the new gadget Zane cooked up? It's got some nice features. What we wanted to do was …."

That night after the signal had been activated Max was informed about the B&E Syl and Krit were planning for that evening. Max could feel the adrenaline rush through her as she looked over the plans. For an instant she wished things were back to before she'd been captured by Manticore, this would've been right up her alley. Across the table her eyes met with Alec's and he grinned knowingly because he knew exactly which thoughts flashed through her mind. She smiled back, knowing he'd probably thought the same thing. She focused back on the plans and applauded their approach, she could see how they had become such successful thieves. They were complete opposites on the outside, Syl a fair skinned blonde and Krit the tall, dark, and handsome type. But together they made a beautiful pair, and they complemented each other.

Max wasn't happy that she wouldn't be a part of the back-up but unfortunately they were right, Max's runes were still coming up and there was no point risking exposure. Nonetheless, Max felt more than a little jealous at Jondy who would be lookout for the team. She was also slightly suspicious of the looks Jondy kept on throwing Alec when she thought no one else was looking.

Max was still suspicious when all 5 transgenics were making their way out of TC through the sewers, and she insisted on following the transmissions from the command room. Obviously radio silence would have to be maintained while Syl and Krit were inside the building but thanks to Zane's new toy they could keep an open line with Jondy. When Jondy reported herself in position and requested a visual confirmation. Zane's hoverdrone took flight from the top of one of the TC buildings and Zane guided it to the museum. Zane had commandeered a hoverdrone after he bet Mole couldn't shoot one down without damaging the critical systems. Mole had taken offense to that and had set out to prove him wrong, which was exactly what Zane wanted. Zane made some careful modifications to it and today was it's its official first assignment.

"Base to Scout. Sit rep."

Jondy fiddled with her comms gear, the ledge she took as lookout point wasn't very big and Jondy was trying to keep her balance and keep out of sight. "Scout here, things look nice and peaceful on the outside. No visible movements from inside the building. Almost too quiet."

"Copy that, Scout. Standby for results of thermal image." Soon after, her comms gear crackled back to life, this time the reception was much improved. Jondy squinted in the darkness and spotted the hoverdrone where it hovered over the museum building. "Okay, Scout, we got 8 bodies inside in total. 2 are glowing hot moving tight together towards the central room, heading for the prize. We got 2 one on the same floor, stationary. One is patrolling what looks like a hallway one floor up and another 2 stationary at the ground floor. Last one is on the top floor making rounds. I'd say the way is clear for the team to make a clean extraction."

"Scout to base, report acknowledged, we'll see you at home. Out."

Jondy continued to mutter under her breath as she put away her comms gear, wriggling her toes to keep the circulation in her legs going. "Come on, keep it moving. Jeez. I thought this was going to be fun. So far I'm just thirsty and cramped up. Maintain visual contact, next time Alec can play lookout and I'll take point."

Behind her she could hear Dalton creeping up to her position to hand her a small bottle of water. She didn't turn her head or raise the volume when she spoke to him. "Don't let them know you heard that, squirt, or I'll have your jewels for supper."

Dalton wasn't sure whether she was serious but he assumed she was kidding the same way Alec always was to pass the time while they had been waiting for Max to complete some sort of Eyes Only mission at the start of the siege. Taking no chances he put and equal measure of respect as amusement in his voice when he responded.

"Yes ma'am."

The rest of the heist went without a hitch and the 5 of them entered the sewers feeling grateful for the lack of security at the museum. Jondy did complain about her sore muscles again, just for good measure and Alec, being a good sport, offered to massage her. Thus fooling around they came out of the sewers inside TC and were greeted by their reception team. Syl handed the bag of goodies over to Joshua who made sure the contents would be prepped for the arms deal that was meant to go down the following day. Alec and Jondy headed off together and Max watched them from the shadows, wondering what was going on between them and admonishing herself for caring.

--------Act 3

All through the night a stream of X5s and X6s jumped the fence of TC under the cover of darkness. They were welcomed with open arms by those who had served with them. Some people hadn't seen each other since long before the burning of Manticore and it turned all of TC into a joyous mood. As the numbers increased during the small hours of the morning and the stream of new arrivals didn't look to be abating any time soon Max was starting to feel slightly worried. Their numbers were slowly exceeding the numbers they were expecting. It seemed as though everyone had made it back into US territory and were all flocking to TC.

Some of the higher ranking X5s came to TC and asked to meet with the leaders, most were less than pleased to discover they would fall under the command of a 'niner' and gave Max an unsettling feeling. Mole was happily interviewing new arrivals with a team of techies and the database was quickly filling up. Another unpleasant surprise for Max was that most were unwilling to pledge themselves to the defence of TC. The night came to a new low for Max when, after discovering Alec was part of the team as well, most of the new arrivals plainly refused to speak to her until Alec vouched for her abilities. It had been his signature on the signal and he was the one they wanted to talk to.

Seething Max paced her office, at first she had flat-out refused to accept that Alec apparently had been a high-ranking officer at Manticore but when more and more confirmed her suspicions she grew livid. Why had Alec never told her he was a top dog at Manticore? What else was he hiding from her? According to Max's logic this only confirmed that he wasn't to be trusted and it stung her that the others showed more faith in Alec than in her. What was worse, the attitude of the new arrivals gave some of her opposition more strength. Max was getting worried that maybe getting all these people here hadn't been such a good idea. At that point Mole dared to enter her office, he had been waiting patiently for Max to come back out of her office so he could impart some more wisdom on her. When she hadn't his patience ran out and he decided to brave her legendary temper and try to salvage what was left of the day by suggesting she sent someone to get Alec. "Princess, you know what you need to do, why aren't you doing it?"

Max's head snapped up and took a second to regain her composure, Mole shook his head. She'd been so preoccupied that he could've been on top of her before she would've realised what was going on. Humans just didn't have the focus needed to get the job done. While he was thinking that, Max narrowed her eyes and advanced on Mole. Stopping inches from his face she barked at him. "Did you know?"

Seemingly unaffected Mole withdrew his cigar, relighted the end and asked casually. "Know what?"

Max turned away and began pacing the room muttering under her breath. "Know what, know what he asks." She stopped and faced Mole head-on, her struggle plain in her voice. "Did you know Alec was Manticore's top gun?"

Mole grinned, it was about time she figured it out. "Of course he was Manticore's main man. Why do you think they assigned him to you?"

Max took up her pacing again, seemingly preoccupied with her thoughts, Mole wasn't sure whether this was the right time to tell her but he was sick of her high and mighty attitude. "Princess, you need to get him and soon, or these guys are out of here. Those runes don't mean anything to them, but 494 does."

Max mumbled something Mole couldn't hear and paced another few times. Mole could see she was struggling with something, frankly he didn't care what it was but before he could start again, Max stopped and took on the demeanour of a commander. She hardened her face and walked out of the office without acknowledging Mole. Mole looked out the window and saw where she was headed. She passed several platoons of X6's along the way who were amazed at her transformation to a Manticore soldier.

Arriving at his apartment she didn't bother to knock but just barged in, eager to confront him with her newly discovered knowledge. In the process she very nearly knocked over Jondy who had been poised to open the door. Jondy held out her hands to avoid complete collision and Max froze to the spot. For a second she assumed Jondy had stopped by here after spending the night at their apartment but the clothes she was wearing didn't fit with that story. Max looked more closely at her sister and noticed the sweatpants and shirt that were most definitely not hers. Jondy was holding a cup of coffee that she handed to Max while speaking, sounding somewhat amused. "I thought I heard someone coming to the door. Here, you want this? I need to get dressed."

Jondy turned away from Max hiding a smile. Max looked completely shocked at her appearance and it was obvious she wasn't expecting Jondy here. Jondy headed for the bedroom while speaking over her shoulder. "I heard the shower turn off a minute ago so I think Alec will be out soon. Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back."

As soon as Jondy closed the bedroom door behind her she leaned against it and bit her lip to keep from grinning. At that moment Alec came in from the bathroom wearing only a towel that was slung low across his hips. Jondy raked her eyes along the well muscled chest down past the towel and back up again. She released her lip and laughed soundlessly. Alec looked at her curiously. "What's so funny?"

Jondy shook her head to indicate she couldn't answer right now. Alec shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the closet. Without turning to her he asked Jondy who'd been at the door. Jondy took a moment to reply so Alec turned around so see what she was thinking. Jondy replied, looking intently at his face trying to read his thoughts. "Max, she's waiting for you in the living room." When she couldn't see anything in his face she continued. "Mind if I use your shower?"

Alec gestured for Jondy to go ahead and she did. Alec took the opportunity to quickly get dressed and see what Max wanted. He had some inclination of what she wanted and he wasn't looking forward to the conversation they were about to have, but part of him was glad that he no longer had any reason to hide his status from her. Another part was dreading what would come next, they would ask him to take responsibility and Alec no longer wanted to be responsible for others people's lives. That had been the one thing he'd enjoyed most about being on the outside, he had only been responsible for his own life and no one else's. Now all that was going to change, as soon as he walked out that door he'd be walking right back to that responsibility. Did that make him selfish? Maybe it did but Alec was sick of being punished for other people's mistakes. Even though he knew there would be no one out there to punish him for any mistakes, Alec knew he'd blame himself and that was perhaps even worse.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself he closed his eyes for a moment to centre himself then walked out to face Max and the message she was bringing him. Walking through the door he was surprised to see Max facing the window, watching the action on the street. Alec joined her there and looked out over her shoulder. "Hey, I heard you were here to talk to me."

Max's voice sounded very small, even to herself. "Did you always let me win?"

Alec wanted to make light of it but when he saw the look on her face he changed his mind. He lifted Max's chin with one finger. "You needed to win much more than I did." A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Some of those punches were deserved."

Max smiled, but she remembered why she came and turned away from him. "They're asking for you."

"Yeah, I thought they might do that. Are you okay with that?"

With some of her old venom Max lashed out. "Don't have much of a choice, do I?" Seeing his reaction to that she softened her tone. "No, no objection here."

Max looked at him for a moment then turned away. Alec held out the door for her and waited till she walked out. In the hallway she asked Alec, trying to sound casual. "Shouldn't you have told Jondy you were leaving?"

"Nah, she'll find her way out. I expect she'll be by command later today. I know she wants to talk to you about your other siblings." Max's head snapped up at that and she looked at the man next to her through the slits of her eyes.

"Relax, I didn't tell her anything, but I think you'd better think about what you want to tell them." Max nodded, she'd been thinking about it but it was a very difficult thing to talk about.

Alec was wondering whether he should continue, there was more that needed to be said on the subject. Even though Max hadn't threatened to dismember him he suspected she was in a receptive mood. But maybe he should conserve that mood for the meeting with the platoon leaders. She'd need it in there too. Decisions, decisions, not for the first time that month Alec was reminding himself how much easier things were when he only had his own hide to worry about. Max would most likely call that self-centred, Alec called it nice and easy.

Walking side by side they entered the doors of command and headed in to face the new challenge in their struggle for survival.

Meanwhile, Jondy was standing in the middle of Alec's apartment, thoughtfully replaying the past events in her mind. A soft smile played around the corners of her mouth. She loved her sister dearly but that girl needed a wake-up call, and Jondy felt she was just the person to deliver it. Now was a time to get some answers, while Max was otherwise occupied.

Taking one look at the door, Jondy hopped on the window ledge and hopped out on the fire escape. She walked the ledge and slid down the pole to the floor, as she landed in a crouch she saw an X6 watching her every move from an adjacent building. Jondy winked and grinned and the kid, he was probably around 16 looking for a way to impress his friends. As Jondy rounded the corner she could see the flow of arrivals camping out in the street while their leaders negotiated their stay. Jondy mentally shook her head at their indifferent front. 'Where else were they going to go?' Jondy thought as she walked by them. Since she'd been alone in this world for over a decade, she knew how much it sucked. She was never going down that road again, if she could help it.

'If I were an ordinary, hung up on a revved up female, where would I be?' Jondy thought as she wandered the streets. He wouldn't be at command because Mole would have him out of there in less than 5 seconds. But he'd want to be close because Max would be at command and he would probably want to feel useful. According to Mole no one here really liked him but Joshua generally took him in when things got hairy, something Alec probably asked him to do. So finding Joshua would be a good start.

Jondy muttered softly "Now, if I were a 6 foot dogman, where would I be?"

"Joshua is most likely off painting a new masterpiece somewhere." Jondy jumped at the sound of the voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. She whirled around, trying to locate the origin of the voice. She could hear chuckling and sheepishly looked up. There on top of one of the lamp posts was a guy who could only be a fellow X5. Graced with the stunning good looks all X's were gifted with, this one seemed to have gotten his looks from a dark-haired Adonis. In fact, his face looked eerily familiar even though Jondy was certain she'd never seen the man before. What was worse, her stomach was fluttering, and Jondy's stomach never fluttered, especially not because of a man. It just didn't happen.

Finding her voice steady, she smiled invitingly and watched as the man flipped down and landed in front of her with the grace only feline DNA can provide. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Jondy held out her hand and introduced herself with flair.

"Jondy."

"Demon."

He took her hand and held it longer than was necessary, caressing her hand with the tips of his fingers, so softly that she wasn't entirely sure he'd done it. Looking into his eyes, as they gleamed with amusement she knew he had.

"Does that work well with ordinary girls?"

Demon replied by pulling up one eyebrow. Jondy flashed him a grin and let her eyes fall down to their hands to indicate what she meant.

"Ooh, that. Yeah, actually it does. Why, don't you like it?"

Jondy flashed him another grin, honesty needed to be encouraged after all. "I didn't say that. Now do you really know where I can find Joshua or were you just trying to get my attention?"

Demon grinned at her forwardness, there weren't a lot of X5 females as confident as this one, he liked it. Of course she was a 'niner' that was a small strike against her but Alec approved her mission status so she couldn't be all bad. He cocked his head and inclined it slowly. He pointed towards the parking garage that Jondy hadn't been in since she drove the truck into TC.

"Thanks, and can I have my hand back?"

Jondy had to conceal an amused grin. She knew he was expecting to be invited to join her, which was exactly why she hadn't done so. Besides, she was on a mission and missions always came before men. She blew him a kiss as a goodbye and headed in the direction he had indicated. She didn't look back, even though she knew he'd be watching her leave. She felt the urge to sneak a peek but fought it because she knew if she did, he'd know she'd done so and that would give him the upper hand in their next meeting. Jondy never gave away an upper hand that easily.

Walking up the ramp, she found Joshua at the ledge overlooking the centre square of TC. He was painting on a canvas with broad strokes. Jondy didn't need to look over the edge to know what he was looking at. He was painting the waiting crowd on the street waiting for the verdict that would determine the next few months. Joshua sniffed the air as she got closer and Jondy looked around to find out whether she could see Logan typing furiously away at a keyboard. When she didn't see him or hear the clicks of a keyboard being manhandled she walked up more at ease and peeked over Joshua's shoulder at the canvas.

Jondy smiled, when she saw his use of light colours for the crowd below set against the darkness of the decrepit facades. "You have faith in the outcome don't you big guy?"

"Jondy have faith too. Jondy good new friend, good people."

"Thanks, big guy, I'm glad you think so. Say, have you seen Logan anywhere?"

Joshua shook his head looking little dejected. "Logan was here, but he didn't want to wait no more. Joshua told him not to go but," Joshua shrugged his shoulders, "Logan now at his home."

"Thanks, Joshua. You know I'd rather stay here with you, but I have to talk to Logan. I have to," Jondy looked for a nice euphemism, "explain a couple of things to him."

Joshua put down his brush and gave Jondy a quick hug, he then picked up his brush again and turned back to his canvas. "It's okay. Joshua will stay here and paint hope." Joshua looked out over the crowd scurrying about down below and nodded. His eyes involuntarily drifted over to where their flag was hoisted. A hopeful expression on his face, he took his canvas with him to display it. He knew everything would come out alright in the end, together they would make it into the light.

End of episode.

A/N: Stay tuned for episode 2 when Zack is brought back from the farm and the 'foursome from hell' deal with Stendahl and his faithful followers.


	2. Family First

Summary: Zack is brought back to the transgenics' world while Logan has some trouble getting Max to trust him as she's done in the past. He blames Alec for this and makes a dangerous choice. p 

A/N: I realised I made a mistake earlier, obviously Dix is the rune specialist and Luke the comms guy. I've rectified it. p 

Episode 2 – Family First p 

"I don't want to hate, but that's all you've left me with. A bitter aftertaste and a fantasy of how we are to live." Robbie Williams, _No regrets_. p 

"Those that I fight, I do not hate. Those that I guard I do not love." W.B. Yeats p 

Act1 p 

Max sighed and turned to the side again, feeling uncomfortable and exposed wearing only a sports bra. The brunette hid her irritation and tried to keep her mind on the negotiations planned for that afternoon to keep her mind detached from what was happening in the room. p 

Dix approached her earlier saying he wanted to verify his research into the runes. Max was utterly unprepared for the request to see them as on her skin, instead of on pictures. Her first instinct was to throw a fit but one look at the guy's open and honest face convinced her of his intentions. She silently even applauded his courage for braving her temper and asking her something he knew she would have been very suspicious of. p 

Smiling benevolently she looked down at Dix who seemed to be studying the symbols on her wrist extremely intently. He was earnestly intrigued by the ancient scribbles and Max couldn't help but feel proud of all he had accomplished despite having been ignored for most of his life. Differently to, say Mole for instance, he harboured no hard feeling to the X-series despite their better treatment and Max wondered, as she had done many times before, why Manticore had kept them alive when they had seemed so callous with the lives of their 'precious' soldiers. Part of her wanted to ask Dix about his experiences but something always stopped her before she did. p 

A knocking on the door interrupted both of them and Max looked at the door with big eyes, Dix hadn't bothered with locking the door and Max was suddenly aware that everyone could just walk in when they wanted to. Which, in the next moment they did. Or rather only one man did, the only one who was brave enough to ignore her closed office door. p 

Whatever Alec was expecting to see after walking into Max's office, watching her being studied while half-dressed by their best researcher certainly wasn't it. Despite a serious lack of attention for what he was saying his eyes never wavered after that first somewhat languid exploration of exposed flesh and he continued his sentence without a hitch in his voice. "Max, about the meeting planned this afternoon." p 

Alec was feeling quite proud that his voice carried none of the surprise and exhilaration he was feeling. "I think you should," he paused pretending to notice the situation only now, "Oh, hi Dix, everything alright?" p 

Dix scurried out of the room as soon as he saw Alec enter the office not willing to be witness to the outburst that was guaranteed to follow on this intrusion. Max was frozen to the spot, feeling panic rising inside her. Her first instinct was to grab something, anything to cover herself back up but she knew Alec would take that as a reason to tease her with her silly prudish nature. So she did nothing and waited then when she realized he didn't even bother to look twice at her she felt oddly disappointed. Resignation sounded in her voice as she spoke "You think I should what?" p 

"Hmm, yes. I think it would be wise if you decided to forgo this round of negotiations." p 

"Alec, you know I need to be there, we need to be perceived as reliable and predictable." p 

"Yes, well there's predictable and then there's predictable. I mean, I like surprises now and then, don't you?" p 

Max recognized the all too familiar gleam in his eye and responded sounding more than half amused. "Alec let's not play this guessing game today. What scheme have you thought up now?" p 

Recognizing his opportunity Alec dove in for the kill. "There's an X6 I want to introduce you to. She's managed to make a telepathic link with Rashel, without losing control of herself. She can use the discoveries he makes immediately. We've been training with her for a few days and it'll really give us an edge." p 

"And?" p 

"And it will give you more time to be the hands-on leader you need to be in here. Most of us don't trust you to make the best decisions yet, despite their agreement to stay. You need to convince them, and you won't do that tied up in negotiations." p 

"Look, Alec, I'm sure you mean well but Logan said…" Max paused and considered what he said. It was true that she needed more time here. p 

Alec took the opportunity of her silence to add another lesson in leadership. "Max, think about it. You can't do everything yourself and having a representative will only buy us more time. They've send one haven't they?" p 

Max looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Alright she can go but she makes no decisions, everything goes through me first. Now tell me about the hidden agenda." p 

Alec hid his hurt at her lack of trust, even if she did take his advice. "And it will give you the time to distract Logan while we get all his sensitive data from his computer system." p 

Max's voice came with a clear warning. "Alec." p 

"I know, Maxie, I know, but aren't you the slightest bit nervous about the material he's sent to Matt Sung? I mean he convinced Cain that this was under your orders but you and I both know you didn't know about it till after the fact. Add to that the fact that we still don't know what was in it…" p 

Alec let his voice taper off and threw up his hands in a protective gesture. After taking a deliberate pause he softened his tone and continued. p 

"I know he said it was just instructions to the informant net but without seeing it how do we know for sure?" Then he launched his final blow to Max's defences. p 

"Bedsides, don't you think your 'brother'," Alec made sure to place a subtle emphasis on the word, "would be safer here with us? He has all that intel sitting on his system." p 

Truthfully Alec didn't need Max to distract Logan to get the information but it was useful to plant a seed of doubt in Max's mind about the loyalties of Logan. Plus it felt great to legitimately make Logan look bad to Max when the old man frequently used blatant lies to make Alec look bad in Max's eyes. He held his breath waiting for Max's reply. Although he knew she'd say yes, her body language told him as much, he also knew it wouldn't take much to sway her. Slowly she began to nod, then her eyes hardened and she nodded more forcefully. p 

At that moment a soft whirring came to both their ears and Max scrambled for her shirt while Alec set himself down in a chair. She hurried to her chair and the both of them were engaged in a seemingly polite conversation when Logan peeked through the door shortly after. It didn't take Max long to convince the man that she had freed her schedule so they could spend some time together and Alec rolled his eyes at her performance whenever Logan couldn't see him. Max did see from the corner of her eyes and she was confused because it didn't make her feel irritated, instead she felt this odd sensation that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Max bit her lip to control her face and that made Alec's mouth twitch. Max quickly led Logan out of the room without hearing a word the man was saying to her and frantically wove her hand behind her back the entire way out. p 

Alec leisurely walked over to the console Dix was working behind and nodded once. Dix immediately activated the program that would search Logan's system and added a small virus that would corrupt some of the more sensitive files. It took less than 30 minutes for the program to complete its cycle and when it did Alec sent Jondy and Zane after Max to rescue her from Logan. Alec meanwhile walked over to a different building to pay a visit to and old friend. p 

To say that Demon was surprised to see Alec visiting their quarters voluntarily was an understatement. His voice carried an undertone of snideness he deliberately failed to remove. Now that they weren't in Manticore anymore, the time for being subtle to avoid detection by the guards was over. "So, her royal ninerness let you out did she? Doesn't need you to turn all of her failures into successes today?" p 

Alec smiled at Demon, an open and inviting smile. Despite an awkward last few years, Demon as he called himself now had been something of a friend at Manticore and Alec was determined not to let bad experiences spoil this chance of renewing their bond. "Still harbouring old hurts I see. I guess that means you're not cleared for active duty?" p 

Demon kept his face a solid blank as he gazed back under Alec's scrutinizing look, not for the first time Demon inwardly cursed Alec for his emphatic abilities. "Just making sure you weren't deliberately trying to shirk your responsibilities. I have no intention of taking your place, again." p 

Alec tightened his smile a little at that and Demon showed his pleasure to indicate he'd noticed. "Play nice, Demon. I have a mission that needs doing. Now I'd like to have the best guys watching my back but maybe I should go to the next block and see Lucifer's men about it?" p 

Demon guwaffed "You said you wanted the best right?" p 

Then he took Alec's hand in both of his and gave him a warm welcome. "It's good to see you, man. I admit for about 10 seconds after seeing the compound I was worried you hadn't gotten out, with that whole save the others first thing you have. But then I remembered this is 494 we're talking about. He's just fine, hustlin' his way around as always. It was nice to see your signal though, the guys have been itching for some action, all this laying low crap gets really boring." p 

Alec returned the squeeze of his hand and felt the connection between them reaffirming himself. "It's good to see you too. Now about this op, are your guys ready for some sneak and creep?" p 

"It isn't their favourite as you well know but I can get them in line. What did you have in mind?" p 

Alec and Demon sat at the table and went over the plans to rescue Zack from his involuntary exile. When Demon realised this was about another 'niner' he recoiled for a moment. Thankfully Alec had expected that and proceeded to explain that Zack was the name given to the soldier with the designation 599. Hearing that, Demon went to get the others in on the plan. At the end of the afternoon all details of the retrieval were discussed at length and both men felt they were suitably prepared. p 

Demon was just a little curious about the timing of the op, he argued that if they waited till most of the novelty wore out operational security would be better achieved. When Alec explained the reason for retrieving Zack at this point was the demands of Colonel Stendahl to join his troops, Demon was more than a little surprised. "Why are you so opposed to this, man? This Stendahl guy didn't seem any worse than Lydecker ever was. What's the problem? I mean I remember you schemed your way out of getting orders to Quantico even though you were a solo ops guy. What gives?" p 

Alec sighed, this was what he'd been worried about. He knew not all the units had taken Max up on her offer and he was afraid more of them would feel this way and accept Stendahl as their CO. "That guy is bad news, man. Do you know why he only took solo ops people? 'Cause they were the ones that had been modified, simplified. You saw what happened to Lane and Jewel after they got back. They were robots, they had no human emotions left to nourish. I know you have less trouble with your conscience than I do." p 

Alec looked at little chagrined at this, Demon just waited for him to continue. "But they have none, they wouldn't even hesitate to shoot other transgenics. I'm telling you, man, you don't want to be under his orders. He gives you no leeway and he doesn't care if you die on your mission as long as you complete it. Do you want to betray your unit mates in favour of the mission?" p 

When Demon slowly shook his head, trying to assimilate this new information to what he already knew, Alec silently breathed a sigh of relief. He needed Demon and the others to be with him on this. He couldn't afford any of them deciding Stendahl was the better tactical option for their survival. If Demon's unit and that of Devil and Lucifer stayed with them odds were most of the others would follow their lead. They had done so at Manticore and it was something the outside world couldn't change. Demon smiled ruefully at Alec when another realisation hit him. "Guess we'll be fighting against your old unit then, won't we?" p 

Alec's eyes hardened and his voice took on a steely edge. There was nothing charming or suave about the man now seated at the table. "They haven't been my unit for a long time. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't speak of them that way." p 

Demon pulled his drink closer and regarded Alec with a piercing stare, then abruptly leaned back in his chair and cocked his head. "So, which 'niner' are we taking on this mission? I take it you want Zack to have a familiar face present?" p 

Alec smirked and pulled himself out of his memories. "I've been thinking of that. Why, do you have a preference?" p 

Demon was determined to keep his nonchalance, some reconnaissance had informed him that Jondy spent a lot of time in Alec's apartment. Yet, neither acted like they were committed to each other. Jondy displayed a clear signal of interest in him the other day and she wouldn't have if she were attached to Alec. Unless, she didn't know the rules but that seemed unlikely to him. "I was thinking it would be wise to bring one of the females from his unit. He would be more likely to follow her lead, a male might cause him to want to assert his status." p 

"Mmm, good point, obviously we can't risk Max out of the boundaries of TC at the moment since the Cult still has her at the top of their hit list. So that leaves Jondy and Syl. Both have kept with training, though Syl has focused on honing the skills most applicable to cat burglary." p 

Demon interrupted "I hear Jondy has received some extra training while working to for a private protection firm. That might be what we need for this op she would be prepared to guard Zack while he regains his memories." p 

"Right. And the fact she's seriously hot didn't factor into this." p 

Demon snorted. "I have 5 gorgeous females in my own unit, they made us that way, remember? I'll admit she's got some life in her but you should know that better than anyone." p 

Realising his friend's intentions Alec was more than willing to share the truth. "Yeah, she's a good friend." p 

At Demon's obvious surprise Alec grinned. "What? Surprised I could let myself be friends with a rogue? Please I'm mostly a rogue myself, we get along great." p 

Demon mumbled something incoherently under his breath and looked over the papers once more. "When do you want to move out? I want to brief my unit and I need to brief Devil and Lucifer on the protocols if they're going to be our back up. You do want them as our backup right?" p 

"Like I'd trust anyone else to watch my back. Last intel briefing is this afternoon, I'll send a runner with the time. Have Devil and Lucifer come too, I want them to meet our security chief and the other section leaders before we leave." p 

On his way out Alec greeted the unit members scattered across the apartment, who were still checking their equipment. Something about the scene struck him as odd, but soon he realized he was missing Jenny. Jenny had been Demon's SiC since becoming an active unit but she had been pulled from the unit and into the breeding program. Seeing the unit together without their signature SiC brought a chill to Alec and for a moment he wondered how many of the pregnant females other than Gem had made it and what happened to them. Alec promised himself to look into that after they returned. It was likely most of these females would have stayed in the area, so why weren't they at TC? p 

Feeling the strain on his body and mind he grimaced when it struck him that he hadn't gotten the sleep he needed either, despite reminding Max endlessly to get enough sleep. Somehow there was too much to do, even for those with transgenic advantages. The fatigue was probably wearing on his mind, not for the first time Alec felt gratitude that the Hellfire Trio had joined them. Now he could start thinking about delegating some of his responsibilities to others, after he'd assessed their loyalties to be beyond reproach. p 

Act2 p 

The moonlight brought an eerie glow to the corn and wheat fields surroundings the group of buildings. The crops had grown about knee high, providing at least some cover to hide their approach from watching eyes. At a cursory glance it was a silent night, with a bright moon, occasionally obscured by small patches of clouds passing before it. Under the cover of darkness a group of figures moved effortlessly through the fields in two rows, effectively hiding their numbers. As the leading figure balled his fist all dropped into a ditch running along the final sand road that needed to be crossed before reaches the farm buildings. It was typical farmland territory, the nearest neighbour almost a mile away. Using hand signals Demon sent out his scouts to confirm the intel before moving in closer. p 

They had been watching the farm all day, looking for unusual traffic or any hint of foul play. Around dinnertime most of the trucks left the group of buildings leaving one parked in front of what they assumed to be the barn. They could see some lights still on inside what looked like the main building but no lights anywhere else. Demon felt he was probably being overly cautious, but his training drilled into him at a young age told him it was better to triple check your data since everyone can make a mistake. Well, maybe not them but ordinaries could and the main intel had come from an ordinary. p 

Leaning back against the dirt he relaxed his muscles and waited patiently for his scouts to report in. He took this lull in vigilance to review their journey here and looked for anything he might've missed or dismissed at first glance. Nothing came to mind and he felt confident in the outcome of this mission. Operational security had been paramount since the first minute of this mission. Her 'ninerness' had covered their exit with the ordinary, the rest of the way had been routine. His unit had enough training in travelling inconspicuously and they had met up outside the nearest town without incident. p 

Thinking back on it, his journey had been quite pleasurable with Alec and Jondy. She'd amused them with stories of her assignments as a bodyguard and kept careful watch as they slept. None of his unit had been adapted for night time duty so none had been given shark DNA. The fact hat Jondy only needed 4 hours of sleep and usually slept during the day meant both he and Alec had gotten more sleep on the trip than they had in the week before. Demon felt rested and completely at the top of his game. p 

Even better, the trip had confirmed for him that Jondy and Alec were exactly what Alec had said, good friends but nothing more. Demon certainly didn't begrudge him that. All through training at Manticore after the escape, Alec and his unit were watched more closely and were hence left out of the tentative friendships that formed naturally from running exercises together. This became worse after he messed up that one mission and Demon had a difficult time of remaining in contact with him after he returned. Then came the fatal incident with Stendahl, and the repercussions of that blew a rift between them that Demon was feeling a little ashamed of now. p 

It also reinforced in him the belief that Jondy was the best trained of all the 'niners' he'd seen so far. She had no issue with taking orders and was naturally observant albeit a little prone to risk taking. Not that he minded, he never liked his women docile and easy. He was a predator at heart and the idea of a chase made his blood boil. p 

Now that he had experienced more of the outside world, Demon had a better understanding of the things Alec had spoken of after he returned from the Berrisford fiasco. Even though Demon would be the first to admit he still had an issue with feelings, he could now understand why Alec hadn't wanted more responsibilities at Manticore, he simply cared too much. Manticore might have been his home but its destruction had been Alec's saviour. Demon mused whether Max realised how indebted Alec probably felt to her and assumed she didn't. A lot of things that were natural or obvious to him seemed to slide by her. At least she treated him with more respect. When Demon heard how their interaction had been prior to his arrival he had been inches away of pounding some understanding into her. It still set him off just thinking about it, although he didn't want to examine why he cared so much. p 

He looked around and silently assessed the frame of mind the rest of his unit was in. Although he lacked Alec's aptitude at empathy he knew most of these people so long that reading their state of mind was second nature to him. He could tell all of them were excited to be active in the field but there was an extra edge to them that Demon could only attribute to the absence of any ordinaries watching over their shoulder. p 

While he was making eye contact with every member of his unit the scouts returned for their report. All parameters were still normal, they hadn't managed to eyeball the target but Demon hadn't really expected them to since they were still too far out. He assigned 2 infantrymen to guard their rally point and exit and motioned the rest to follow him. As the team formed the tactical columns he signalled for Jondy to move up the line to him and Alec while they crept through the last field. Halfway through the field he halted them with a single fist in the air and signalled for them to spread out and circle round the property, Demon was taking no chances on this mission. He had every intention of grabbing their target and be far away before anyone discovered he was gone. p 

He watched down the line of figures creeping forward and noticed with satisfaction that Jondy was walking down the centre of the line watching the others and him for her cue to move forward. Demon signalled down the line for the scouts to locate their target and indicated to Alec and Jondy to move closer and wait for their report near him. In a soft whisper he reminded Jondy of her job. p 

"Remember, as soon as they return with his location you get 5 minutes to tell him who you are. According to Max it took her less than a minute to convince him last time. We're counting on the fact that that hasn't changed. If it doesn't work, you're to distract him while Alec takes him out with the tranquilizer gun. We'll have ample opportunity to explain once we're far away from here. Take no risks; we don't want him alarming the other occupants. We're hoping he still sleeps in the hayloft, giving you plenty of privacy from the main house. Got it?" p 

He waited for Jondy's abrupt nod and was pleased to note her lack of protests of recriminations at his repeating the instructions. He knew it was overkill, reminding her again but she was rapidly proving her worth to him by keeping her silence. Through the darkness his eyes caught the small roll of eyes she couldn't suppress and he let a hint of a smile come out, letting her know he'd seen it. She lowered her eyes ruefully and looked toward the buildings with renewed determination. Alec gave a curt nod at Demon's silent question and he was satisfied that Alec would watch her back and would shoot at the first sign of disbelief. p 

He let his eyes roam her figure for any shiny objects and saw none, the only thing non-standard issue on her was the object holding her hair back. He hadn't asked her about it but he found he was curious as to the function of what seemed to him like a frivolous addition to her gear. Alec had let him know during one of her naps that she carried it on every mission and Demon assumed it was something superstitious then. That was something he could understand as he had his own rituals before going out on a mission to ensure luck would be on his side. p 

He could see the scouts creeping back to him and noticed one was still out. The lead scout gave his report in a urgent whisper and Demon immediately turned to Alec and Jondy. p 

"Alright, the target," he paused and tightened his lip, "Adam, is indeed occupying the hayloft. However, at the moment he is sitting on the roof, preventing a clean approach for you. He has one of my scouts pinned under the combine to avoid detection. He seems to be meditating, now if he were a transgenic with all his memories I'd say he'd spot you as soon as you break cover. Since he has no memories I'd say he'd know something was going on but wouldn't be able to interpret the signals." p 

Alec held up his hand to stop Demon before making another inference. "I have to say that when we confronted him previously he resorted to violence before hearing our story. Risking exposure before explaining it to him would not be a tactical option." p 

Alec glanced at Jondy to see her open her mouth, he already knew that she was going to say he was provoked but that didn't matter in this instant. She closed it before saying anything and shook her head to indicate she had nothing to add. Demon regarded the scene and appreciated her restrain for the second time that night. He was getting more and more impressed with this woman and wondered how her fighting abilities would measure up against the rest of them. They had at least a decade of training on her, how much of an edge would they have against someone who was only trained by ordinaries. The fact that he had been trained by ordinaries also, escaped his attention. p 

Unable to do anything else they waited knowing they could only approach unseen after he entered the loft. Soon the signal reached them and Alec and Jondy crept into the relative light of the moonlight and towards the barn. p 

Crossing the yard seemed endless and Jondy carefully navigated her way across taking extra care not to disturb anything laying around for fear of alerting Adam. Despite not having his memories he would still have all the sensory input of a transgenic just no references to deal with them. Not for the first time she cursed Logan for coming up with such a flawed plan and Max for going along with it. What did they expect? That Adam would just ignore all the things his body was telling him and never would go to find some answers? Very unlikely, thought Jondy to herself. p 

The way he was now he was an easy target for any transgenic hunters and he wouldn't even know why they'd want him. They could tell him anything and he wouldn't know they'd be lying to him. With pain in her heart she remembered how her CO had been in the hands of people who only wanted him for what he could do for him and had kept him in the dark about who he was. For a moment she had classified Max in that category for shipping him off to some farm because he had been too difficult to deal with. After seeing the anguish in Max's eyes, Jondy's judgement became less harsh, Max had dealt with the situation the best way she knew how but Logan, now there was a culprit waiting for her disdain. p 

Jondy could feel anger and turmoil bubbling inside her at the thought of Logan. She remembered feeling sorry for the man when she went to talk to him earlier and now she wished she'd been less magnanimous in her approach. She pushed all those feelings deep down sensing how she would need to have all her wits about her if she wanted to pull this off without a hitch. She mentally prepared herself for the shock of seeing her CO as someone else and steeled her courage. Pushing all other feelings aside she focused entirely on her task and watched Alec as she followed him to the door of the barn. Both would be aware that opening the door would shine moonlight into the barn but the only alternative was jumping to the second story to the hay door. Not knowing what would greet them inside they opted for a more stealthy approach. p 

Jondy saw Alec opened the door a crack and listened for any sounds that would indicate Adam's position inside the barn. He must have been satisfied it was safe for he opened it a little wider and crept inside. Jondy followed him and closed the door behind her. Finding some straw she wedged a piece between the door, hoping the sound of it breaking would alert them to someone approaching. Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness inside she could see farm equipment all around her. They were all foreign to her but she could clearly see the sharp edges on several pieces and ascertained automatically their worth as a makeshift weapon. The distinct smell of various animals still hung in the air and Jondy could hear the scurrying of small rodents all around her. p 

Then she froze when she heard a shuffling somewhere higher up. It was an indistinct noise that she couldn't directly place but it was a clear sign of another presence in the barn. She could see the ladder that led to the hayloft but around the corner she spotted a more permanent method of assent. It seemed Adam had made another route to get to his room. Jondy smiled, some things would never change even if you don't have memories to base it on. No real transgenic would let himself get caught somewhere without at least 2 escape routes. Feeling proud of her CO even I he couldn't remember it she nodded at the stairs and gave Alec a thumbs up. Alec rolled his eyes at her but smiled nonetheless. p 

She crept closer to the stairs while Alec waited at the ladder, now she made no effort to hide her approach since she didn't want to startle Adam, who knew what he might do then. Reaching the top of the stairs she looked around but she couldn't see Adam anywhere. Puzzled she looked around again trying to penetrate into every dark corner of crevasse. She hesitantly took a step forward then another. p 

A whoosh of air passed her and Jondy fell to the ground instinctively. She turned ready to pounce her assailant when she was struck by the sight of Adam pointing the barrel of a gun directly at her. She made eye contact with him and a sad smile unwillingly came to her face. She could see the confusion on his face as well as the determination of getting some answer. Taking her eyes off his for a second, she glanced up behind him and cursed herself for her nonchalance. She hadn't looked up as she came off the stairs and she could now clearly see the beam he'd been waiting for her on. The noise she heard must've been from him jumping up to it. Looking him in the eye again she tried to look unintimidating. "Hello, Adam." p 

He didn't seem impressed with her act and his hands tightened around the gun. He seemed to be struggling between anger and curiosity. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" p 

Jondy sat up on her heels and wiped her hands on her pants. "My name is Jondy and I've come to see you." p 

"What about the other guy, the one who's waiting for my back to be turned so he can climb the ladder?" p 

Jondy smiled ruefully and waited for Alec to climb up the ladder. Alec walked closer with his hands in front of him, palms up and open. "We weren't sure how you'd react so…" p 

Adam interrupted "….so he's here to watch your back. Standard procedure." p 

At his last comment his face scrunched up in confusion and Jondy jumped at the opening. "Guess you don't know why you said that, huh? If you put the gun away I'll tell you, how about that." p 

Adam regarded them with a calculating stare seeming to weigh his options, suddenly the gun swung in Alec's direction. "I've seen you before." p 

Jondy took charge of the situation before things could escalate. She got up and stepped in front of the gun. "You've seen me before too. Do you remember?" p 

Adam shook his head and looked at her face more closely. "I don't know, you seem familiar somehow but you look different somehow." p 

Jondy nodded encouragingly and gave him an impish smile. Suddenly Adam's eyes went wide. "I remember you looked at me like that before. I was angry with you then." He frowned trying to remember. "Something about risking your cover for no good reason. Why would I be angry about that?" p 

Jondy mutter softly. "I wondered that too at the time." Then in a louder voice as she heard Alec snicker behind her. "Well, you felt responsible for me. You wanted me to be safe. Do you remember anything else?" p 

Adam considered this and answered in a small voice. "Sometimes, sometimes I see these images of little kids running around or sitting in class. But they never smile and they're all looking at me like I have all the answers but I don't." p 

Adam lowered the gun and dropped into a chair still speaking with wonder in his voice. "And I have these dreams of running through snow, but I'm not cold. Or maybe I don't notice it. I have this one dream about a girl, she's on a table in front of me and there's so much blood. People are telling me she's dead but I don't want to believe them. I want to save her so I grab a gun and then everything goes black." p 

Jondy blanched and she looked at Alec for confirmation. She'd heard about the raid on the genetics lab but it was from Syl and Krit and they were long gone before any of this happened. Alec nodded almost imperceptibly and she could see he was affected by Adam's story as well, even though he tried to hide it. Jondy could see the tears brimming herself but she pushed them back and kneeled in front of Adam. "That really happened. The girl was Max, she was the baby of our unit." She hesitated but time was running out and she had a feeling Demon wasn't going to give them a second extra. "You're Zack, our CO. I'm Jondy. I've been your SiC even if you threaten to demote me every time you see me. Listen I know this doesn't all make a lot of sense right now but Max really wants to see you and it's no longer safe for you here." p 

Jondy could see doubt in his eyes and she wondered what else to say that wouldn't freak him out but that would break through the barriers of his memories. She turned on her heels and lifted her hair to expose her barcode. "Here, look this is my barcode. I used to be X5-210, but you gave me my name, Jondy." p 

She turned back and looked at the blonde in front of her for any sign of recognition. "Please, Zack, do you remember me?" p 

Jondy could see the turmoil in his eyes and she waited for him to process all this information. He shook his head as if to clear it and suddenly sagged in her arms. She flashed Alec an angry glare as she held Zack up in her arms. "What'd you do that for? We were getting closer." p 

Alec silenced her and pointed outside. "Listen, that's a chopper, and I'll bet you it brings bad news for us. We need to get out of here and fast. And I didn't dart him, I just knocked him out he'll come to in 5 minutes." p 

Jondy stood holding Zack up awkwardly and glared at Alec again. "That doesn't make it alright. Now help me get this guy out of here, he's heavy." p 

Alec took Zack's limp body from Jondy and carried him to the barn door in a fireman's hold. They were met there by a few of Demon's unit who kept their eye on the perimeter as Alec and Jondy crossed the yard once again. Halfway there one of them balled his fist and the group halted instantly. In the distance Jondy heard the sound of large trucks heading up the road. They rushed the rest of the way to the ditch, as they dropped down the front door of the main house opened behind them. Alec shoved Zack beneath him and gestured for Jondy to keep him subdued. Jondy watched as he moved closer to Demon and spoke to him in hushed tones. p 

Still hiding they saw trucks coming closer and heard the chopper flying in overhead. Demon signalled for retreat as Zack began to stir beneath her. Jondy quickly lifted his head to hers and put her finger to her lips. Zack's eyes opened wide and recognition lit up in his face. He whispered softly, but with some urgency. "Jondy, what's going on? What are you doing here? For that matter what am I doing here?" p 

"Zack. Shhh, we have incoming, probably hostile." p 

Zack nodded and peeked over the rim of the ditch towards the main house and saw the men waiting in the doorway. He then took a look down the road and ducked back down. "Who's in charge of this operation?" p 

Jondy pointed at Alec and Demon still talking in hushed tones. Zack immediately got off his knees and making sure to keep his body out of sight moved up the line to speak to them. Jondy cringed for a moment and debated with herself the wisdom of staying put against her mounting curiosity. Zack had always been her commander and although he hadn't exactly told her to stay put she knew he wouldn't want her to follow him. She chided herself softly under her breath making the people next to her give her an odd look and crept closer to the group. p 

She could hear Zack asking both men to save the couple inside the main house if possible. "They're good people and they don't deserve to get caught in the cross fire." p 

She could see Demon looking at him and observed him and Alec sharing a look. She wondered what they were going to do, she would gladly risk exposure to save these people considering everything they had done to keep her CO safe. But she knew with certainty that no one would ask her opinion nor would they care to hear it. She could see Demon shaking his head resolutely and signalling for retreat. Although she understood the need for security it was hard for her to leave those people to whoever came to see them. p 

She stole another glance at the main house just as the chopper set down in the yard. Looking over she observed several people getting out with assault weapons and her eyes narrowed as she recognized Stendahl among them. She could hear him shout orders to search every building and wondered how he'd known Zack had been here. She felt someone pulling on her arm and looked back, a nasty remark already on her lips. It froze there when she saw the hard look on Demon's face. "We need to put as much distance between us and that chopper as possible. If they do a search of the field they'll have us zeroed in no time." p 

"Not if we disable it. It'll never get off the ground." p 

Demon's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "And how do you propose we do that, I won't order any of my unit to take out those guards and sabotage that chopper while the backup is armed with assault rifles. It'd be a suicide mission." p 

Jondy stood her ground. "It doesn't have to be, do any of your guys have a sniper rifle? I can take out the fuel line from the edge of the field. We can disappear in the cornfields and be gone before they're halfway down the field." p 

Demon looked at her closely and weighed his options. Taking out the chopper would alert Stendahl to his presence but Zack's absence would most likely do the same. That chopper gave them a serious advantage and Demon was worried they'd get it back in the air before everyone had cleared the field. After taking another moment to calculate the risks he nodded and called out to one of his men and traded rifles with him. He handed it to Jondy and signalled the others the change in plans. He told Alec to bring Zack to the rally point, telling him to take command till he showed up with Jondy. Demon knew that if they didn't Alec would get his unit back to TC safely. p 

Demon and Jondy followed the others to the edge of the field and waited 60 seconds for them to get far enough away. Jondy could hear screams coming from the main house and she fought to keep her professionalism. She knew the couple was being tortured for information and prayed Logan told them to break quickly. By the sounds of the screams and the length of time it took for Stendahl to appear outside again it seemed they were being brave and were trying to withstand the pain. Jondy's heart bled for them but she slid down on her stomach and shouldered the rifle. The only way of honouring their memory now was avenging them by getting away safely and making Stendahl pay for his crimes at a later date. p 

Demon leaned close and whispered, unknowingly voicing her thoughts. "You have one shot. Don't be tempted by taking out Stendahl as well, just disable the chopper and we'll get out of here. We'll get him later." p 

She nodded and focused on finding her mark. The light of the moon which they cursed on their way in now made it easier to find her target. She adjusted the scope, zeroed in on her target and waited for Demon to call it. When he touched her shoulder she fired and with satisfaction saw the bullet pierce the fuel line. The sound of gunfire attracted the attention of the guard sitting in the cargo door of the plane and he turned to them catching a glimpse of muzzle flash. p 

Without hesitation he swung around the assault rifle and fired blindly into the night. As the bullets struck the earth rim of the edge of the field no one was there. Demon and Jondy were already racing through the field, keeping their heads down. Soon they reached the end of the field and both risked a glance behind them to see how their pursuers were faring. Jondy took a teetering step back when the smell of burning wood reached her. p 

As they stood watching, the windows of the main house exploded and a thick black smoke came billowing out. Demon assessed their situation and spurred Jondy to keep moving. Jondy felt like she was frozen to the spot. These people had done nothing other than hide one of her own, was this the way things were going to be from now? Everyone who helped them could count in this kind of treatment? Any doubts she might've had about making a stand instantly vaporized at the sight.

She looked at Demon and wondered if he felt the same. Jondy wasn't a fool, she understood perfectly that his initial motive for staying at TC had been more of a tactical option that a moral one but she wondered if this strengthened his resolve. Would he see these people as nothing more than collateral damage, or was he appalled by the action of these men as well? p 

Demon must've felt her gaze because he turned his head to face her. His eyes were guarded and Jondy could read nothing from them but an urgency to get back and complete the mission. She was amazed at his uncanny ability to block everything except his mission goals from his mind. It wasn't something she envied since it came with some side effects she found less than desirable. Soon enough she let Demon drag her onwards and picked up the pace herself as they got closer to the rally point. p 

The 2 men guarding the access road were already laying down covering fire as the group spread out across various vehicles. Jondy could see Zack from where he was waiting, pacing anxiously next to their car. She pushed him into it and got behind the wheel. Alec got in next to her as Demon pushed Zack and himself down on the ground. p 

Jondy eased the car back on the road and freed her hair with one hand. She opened her vest and peeled herself out of it as Demon handed her a more inconspicuous outfit. With a little help from both men she was changed in no time and making good time back home. p 

All the way during her shift behind the wheel she kept glancing at Zack wondering exactly how much he remembered already and how he would deal with life inside TC. Things had changed so much since they had all been together. Max had gone from being the baby of the unit to the leader of their people. She had gone from a somewhat irresponsible, rebellious teenager to a valued member of the team. Even if she wasn't exactly sure what team that was, they weren't a part of a unit anymore. p 

With a sideways glance at Alec, sleeping in the passenger seat she mused, 'well neither was he and he does alright.' Keeping one eye on the road she straightened the blanket spread across him and made him more comfortable. She didn't realise the 2 men in the backseat watched her, one with brotherly amusement and the other with barely concealed jealousy at the familiarity of her gesture. p 

Act3 p 

Back at TC, Max was pacing her office. She mused how soon there would be a track for her to follow if she didn't stop but that thought didn't stop her. She was still contemplating how to tell Logan that Zack was coming to TC and that Logan was moving out of TC. Mole had already offered to do the honours, repeatedly. And though the offer was tempting Max knew if nothing else she needed to keep Logan on their side, he knew too much about them and despite some odd choices during his stay here he had been a good friend to her before that. p 

Besides, what if he was captured while on the outside? They would have to allocate valuable resources to free him before he would be 'persuaded' to tell his captors what he knew. In that sense he had been right to protest against her when she had asked him to leave, but he had become a bit of a nuisance in the day to day affairs. She still defended him to everyone but even Max was recognizing the uphill battle she was fighting. Why had he redirected those supplies to an orphanage? And why had he sent sensitive information out of TC without informing her first? These things made him look very bad in the eyes of the others and Max was no longer sure what she could say to keep him safe here. p 

What was worse, she couldn't seem to stop worrying about the team out to get her brother back. More particularly 2 members of the team. Not for the first time she wondered exactly how close those 2 were and when that had happened. Alec wasn't the type for a long relationship but he seemed eerily comfortable with Jondy by his side. Max wasn't sure they were really in a relationship since she hadn't asked anyone and neither of them had volunteered the information. But why else would they spend so much time together? p 

Max closed her eyes in frustration, here she was brooding again. She thrust her door open and checked the command room for Mole. Looking around the room she could see the improvements made in the last few weeks. All the garbage had been removed and some of the gofers had stripped other buildings of their office furniture and gathered it here. The large room was now filled with several rows of desks most of which had various screens and other computer equipment bearing them down. Max smiled as she saw the techies hard at work monitoring the comm. cannels or the PD outside the perimeter. Most of them were transhumans, too obviously altered to start guard outside but eager to participate in the fight now that Mole had convinced them. p 

Another new addition were the extra screens lined up against the wall, the images showed the streets of TC they didn't use frequently and the access points that weren't under fulltime guard. Thanks to Zane's modification they had several hover drones watching the streets, easing the strain on the people on guard duty. It also helped them keep the cool between the groups. None of the transgenics were used to being cooped up like this with nothing but guard duty to occupy their time. There had been only a few disturbances but Max feared it was merely the tip of the problems and that soon things would get out of hand. p 

These were things she never considered when she convinced them all to stay, and Max wasn't sure how to deal with them. She needed some advice but her only source of it was away for the moment. Max was getting tired of walking on eggshells and she headed out stopping at Mole's desk. "I'm heading out to inform Logan of his new living arrangements. You're in charge. Also I want a meeting with everyone when Alec and the others return." p 

Satisfied with her performance as leader and pleased at the thought she was taking charge of her life again Max headed out missing the glimpse of respect the flitted across Mole's face before his natural scowl returned. She did hear him barking out orders as she left the building and couldn't help smiling. Her smile faded as she was faced with the apartment building that housed amongst others Logan and Joshua. p 

Inside, Logan was working on his computer but he was distracted when his eyes fell on one of the pictures of Max's runes. He remembered how he was willing to let Max go but he realised she still needed him when she turned to him when the runes started showing. Max had been drifting away from him, even more so since they'd been holed up here, behind the fences of Terminal City surrounded by the others of her kind. Seeing the pictures always helped to remind Logan that whatever happened Max would always turn to him for support and it proved to him that they were still meant to be. p 

It was more important now than ever that he stayed here to support Max even if he couldn't do it directly. His lips pursed in disdain when he remembered how Max's sister cornered him and issued a warning. She had followed him to the rooftop where he could watch Max in her office talking to the representatives from the units gathered in the streets. He was shocked to see Alec by her side but watched with affection how she made her passionate speech to compel them to stay and fight for their right to live. He was so caught up in watching Max that he never noticed the redhead till she sat down next to him and drew his attention by speaking to him. He still remembered their conversation vividly, especially because she had seemed genuinely concerned for him as well as Max. p 

"_Logan Cale, I presume?" p _

_Logan turned to see the redhead he knew to be one of Max's siblings squatting down facing him. She nudged her head at the building across the street and spoke. "Impressive isn't she? Of course it helps that she has Alec by her side." p _

"_She would do just as well, without him. Max is impressive in her own right." p _

"_That she is. Look, Logan, I can understand how you feel." She smiled at his disbelieving glance and spoke when he faced the window where Max still spoke, gesturing wildly to get her point across. "I do know what it's like to be in love, Logan, and I remember wanting nothing more than to be normal. But you have to understand that Max will never be any different than who she is. If you can accept her as a transgenic with all that that entails you will be happy together but if you can't then this is doomed to fail. If you can't, you need to let her go so she can be happy with someone who can."' p _

"_You mean Alec." p _

"_Maybe, but that shouldn't matter. Max needs acceptance and support, not accusations and innuendo. Just think about it." p _

And just like that she was gone, Logan had stayed there watching Max and wondering how close Max and Alec were exactly. Ever since the day he found Alec at Max's apartment he had expected to see them lip locked somewhere but so far every time he had followed Max she had done exactly as she had said. p 

Logan found himself mulling over what Jondy had said, again and again. Max had made such progress since the first time he met her. She was so self-centred when he met her, always only looking out for her own best interests. It hadn't taken him long to make her see how it was her responsibility to use her abilities to help others. It was only after she escaped from Manticore the second time that she began to pull away from him. She started putting transgenics above the things Eyes Only was trying to expose. He had tried repeatedly to convince her that they weren't her responsibility but Max wasn't listening and this got worse after they lost the X5 known as Biggs. p 

He was startled from his thoughts when he heard a noise behind him and turned to see the person that occupied his thoughts almost continually these days. He curled his lips in a welcoming smile and greeted her with warmth. He could see Max wasn't looking directly at him and Logan prepared himself for another argument about his continued presence inside TC. He was determined to stay and offer his advice on things she had no experience in dealing with. That was why her words took him by surprise. p 

"Logan, I need you to move." p 

"Move?" p 

"Yes, I need you to move to the other side of TC where the non-combatants are housed. You'll be safer there." p 

"Alright, if that is what you want. How are you doing? You look tired. Things not going well?" p 

Max wondered what she could say to that. "Things are fine, well as good as can be expected." p 

"I've been thinking about this new plan. How about we take care of some of the corruption in this city? Eyes Only could even make a broadcasts letting people know it was the transgenics doing." p 

"Logan, I don't want anymore exposure. It would be too easy for the NSA to pick us off the streets. We'll have to find another way to sway public opinion." p 

Pleased that she said we Logan launched his other plan. "Good idea, how about I take an office near the command centre and work on that for you?" p 

Max blanched, she needed him further away and the thought of him working near command was unsettling. "No! You can't." p 

"Max?" p 

"Look, Logan, I have to be honest with you. Alec and the others have gone to bring Zack back to TC." p 

Logan was unable to keep the venom from his voice and he spewed the words. "Max, why would you want to do that? Did Alec put you up to this? Zack is fine at the farm, if anything was going on they would have told me. And what about those implanted memories? Are you sure you're ready to deal with him following you everywhere? Aren't you worried he'll kill me? Or your new lover?" p 

Max's eyes narrowed in fury, she opened her mouth to utter a denial and then changed her mind and headed for the door. With her hand on the handle she spoke in a voice laced with ice. "Someone will be by in an hour to help you. Be ready." p 

Max was heading for Joshua's door when one of the X8's halted in front of her and saluted. Max smiled at him and raised her eyebrows. The kid quickly dropped his hand but still stood somewhat at attention while he delivered his message. p 

"Ma'am, scouts have reported intruders in the northwest quadrant. Your presence is requested to deal with them." p 

"Right, let's go." p 

Max led the kid out and they both jogged back to command. Max hid her surprise at seeing an unfamiliar unit waiting on the street and headed in to hear the report from Mole. She zeroed in on him leaning over their map of Terminal city with an X5 she remembered from the negotiations. Mole shifted his attention to her as she came closer and smirked. "Well, well, seems you get to stretch those claws after all. A group of civilians have cut the fence in the northwest quadrant and are steadily moving inward. Lucifer and his unit are ready to deal with them." p 

Max couldn't but smile at the thought of using her skills and stretching her muscles. She'd been going stir-crazy, stuck in meetings, negotiations and the like. An old-fashioned brawl was exactly what she needed. "Well, what are we waiting for, let's roll out the welcome wagon." p 

Lucifer openly stared at the exchange between them and spoke with a voice completely devoid of emotion. "Rules of engagement?" p 

"Disable only, we don't want any of them returning with tales of excessive violence. We will however take whatever they bring into this place, finders keepers." p 

Lucifer responded with a single nod. "Understood. I'll report back to you upon completion." p 

"Hang on there, I'm comin' with you." Seeing his raised eyebrow and anticipating his irritation. "Not to look over your shoulder, you're in charge of this mission, but I need some exercise. You know how it is." p 

The look on his face made it clear that he didn't but he shrugged and headed out to his unit. Max followed him out after refusing the gun Mole offered to her. "Won't need it. Not going to kill anyone, remember." p 

Lucifer sent out 2 men to clear out the most direct route to the intruders. Considering they were dealing with a relatively small band of civilians he wasn't particularly worried, despite receiving the instruction not to use terminal force. Reaching their intercept area all the men dispersed and found various places to take cover. Max surveyed the scene and took up a place on the second story of a rickety fire escape using an old trashcan for cover. Lucifer caught her location and ordered his SiC to guard her at all times. He wasn't about to let their leader get injured on a routine mission, not while under his protection. p 

Soon a group of 25 men swarmed the alley and moved in small groups. Lucifer observed their approach and felt disdain for his opponents. To say that this was going to be easy would be an understatement. They neglected to use scouts and offered minimal rear guard, clearly they were counting on their number and firepower to get them out alive and with trophies. p 

Lucifer waited till the entire group had entered the alley, looking up to get confirmation from the scout assigned to track their progress. Getting the confirmation he was waiting for he sought eye contact with his SiC and ordered the assault. p 

Max watched him for the sign to attack and moved to the edge of the fire escape, preparing to drop down on the man waiting directly beneath her. When the signal came she gripped the rail and flipped herself over. She landed on the man and felt him go down beneath her. She jumped off him and kicked his gun back towards the wall only to realise he was already unconscious. A bellow of rage was uttered beside her and she swivelled to face the threat. She watched the man approach with a feral gleam in her eye. He was carrying a sawed off shotgun but in his fury he seemed more determined to pummel her. That suited Max fine, a single kick to the head would end it but that would be too easy. Instead the opted to kick the gun from his hands high up in the air, catching it in her hands on the way down. Seeing the scout still on the rooftop she motioned for him to come down and start collecting the guns. p 

Max tossed the gun far behind her, out of reach of any of the intruders and faced off with her opponent. She grinned and crooked her finger. "Come on, don't you want to hit me?" p 

The burly man let out a menacing roar of rage and stormed her. He let his arms wide to crush her but Max vaulted over his head and spun round with a kick to his kidney. The contact made him stumble but he regained his footing and faced off with her again. Max stood a few feet away one hand on her hip waiting for him to charge her again. Before he could a fist came out of nowhere and he went down without a single sound. p 

Max pouted at Lucifer who stepped in front of the unconscious shape on the floor. "Hey, I was having some fun here." p 

"You want to spar, find someone to practise with. Don't do it while on a mission." He turned on his heel and ordered the backup to start their scavenging. Soon all 25 were scraped clean of all their possessions and Max led them out the main gate. Max and the others watched with malicious delight as the men gingerly searched a clear path out of TC carefully using their hands to keep from exposing themselves to the world. Max followed them to the gate and mock-seriously surrendered them to an open-mouthed Detective Clemente. p 

She turned on her heel without offering any kind of explanation for the state the men were in. Without looking back she knew that Clemente was having a hard time containing his mirth and was pleased with her non-violent solution. Max headed back to where she was no longer in the line of sight and immediately took off to where she expected the retrieval team to arrive with Zack. She waited there outwardly patient for everyone to arrive. Most of Demon's unit arrived in small groups looking relaxed and cheerful, as though they were regular teenagers returning from a field trip. As soon as they spotted Max however their behaviour became more subdued, as though they were expected her to scold them for it. Max tried to smile reassuringly but she suspected it had little effect as most swept past her with little more than a cursory nod. p 

She realized that the ones she was waiting for were most likely going to come in last, it was what she would've done as well. This didn't abate her anxiety that seemed to grow with each passing hour. She cursed her pride and wished why she hadn't just asked the others for news. Pacing up the street once more she strained her hearing for any sounds that would signal their arrival. p 

Thanks to that she heard the footsteps coming a block away and hurried to intercept Logan before he got too close to the access point. Feeling exasperated she hissed, "Logan, what are you doing here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" p 

She could see Logan was surprised and offended by her outburst but this time she didn't care about is insecurities and restrained the impulse to shove him back towards his new lodgings. Carefully he schooled his features and gave her a smile that dripped with benevolence. "I heard about the intruders. I thought you could use some help in dealing with them." p 

One hand on her hip Max stood frozen to the ground at his condescending tone. "The matter has been dealt with. They were tossed out of TC in a very appropriate manner." Max smiled at the memory of the men trying to find some cover against the camera's of the assembled press. p 

"Are you sure about that Max?" Logan interrupted her recollection and she felt oddly disappointed at his obvious lack of faith in her leadership skills. p 

"I was there myself. Not that it was necessary." p 

"How can you be so sure, Max? The others don't understand the rules of civilized society. I really feel that you should prevent any opportunity for disaster. Who knows what a disruption could mean for the negotiations. Perhaps a class on civilized behaviour would help? I'm sure I could…"

Raising a hand she stopped Logan, and pushed down her irritation. "Logan, everything is under control. Now you have to leave because Zack will be here any minute."

"Too late, Maxie, we're already here."

Max swirled round and came face to face with her big brother. She launched herself into his arms and clung to him. Alec observed the scene with an odd smile on his face and with a sigh confronted Logan. "Logan, buddy, you better get out of here while they're still in the welcoming stage. I don't think Maxie realised exactly how insulting that suggestion really was. And trust me, you don't want to be here when she does."

Logan took one more look at his love, firmly encased in the embrace or the large blonde. Jerking his arm free from where Alec had grabbed him he pivoted on his heel and headed away. Alec glanced over his shoulder at the endearing scene and headed off as well, Demon soon caught up with him and the two went of in search of some alcohol to celebrate the success of their first joint mission. p 

The end. p 

Watch out for episode 3 in which Max is fed up with being stuck inside TC and transgenics are let loose on Las Vegas.


End file.
